


Consequences

by MpeachlinS



Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Broken Bones, Cause they're the best, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Detectives, F/M, Fluff, Frank is a detective, Happy Ending, Henry is the Police Commissioner, Hurt Jamie, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Nightmares, Past Rape/Non-con, Protective Danny, Protective Frank, Recovery, Sexual Assault, Torture, scared Jamie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2020-03-06 01:19:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 17
Words: 35,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18840697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MpeachlinS/pseuds/MpeachlinS
Summary: Jamie helps a fellow student when she is assaulted and ends up in danger. Everything spirals out of control when Frank’s past comes back to haunt him, and disturbing secrets are revealed.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story is a tad AU; I moved up the timeline a bit so that I could use more advanced technology. Instead of taking place in 1995, (which is when Will Estes was 17) it is based in 2014.
> 
> Joe is alive in this story, but Betty, (Henry’s wife) and Mary (Frank’s wife) are not. I also decided that Jack (Erin’s ex-husband) and Linda (Danny’s wife) are not going to be in this story. There are also several POVs, first person, and third person. I tried to make a clear break between every switch.
> 
> Here are the ages: Jamie is 17, Joe is 19, Erin is 22, Danny is 24, Frank is 46 and Henry is 64.
> 
> This story is, almost,100% complete, I still have a little editing to do, but I have the whole thing typed out. I will try to update it regularly. I'm not sure if that means once a week, or more yet.
> 
> Warnings for violence, torture, attempted sexual assault, mentions of rape and a tiny bit of language. I feel like I have given ample notice, so please don't read if you don't like that kind of stuff. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> The first chapter is in Jamie's POV.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie helps a fellow student when she is assaulted and ends up in danger. Everything spirals out of control when Frank’s past comes back to haunt him, and disturbing secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is a tad AU; I moved up the timeline a bit so that I could use more advanced technology. Instead of taking place in 1995, (which is when Will Estes was 17) it is based in 2014.
> 
> Joe is alive in this story, but Betty, (Henry’s wife) and Mary (Frank’s wife) are not. I also decided that Jack (Erin’s ex-husband) and Linda (Danny’s wife) are not going to be in this story. There are also several POVs, first person, and third person. I tried to make a clear break between every switch.
> 
> Here are the ages: Jamie is 17, Joe is 19, Erin is 22, Danny is 24, Frank is 46 and Henry is 64.
> 
> I will try to update it regularly. I'm not sure if that means once a week, or more yet.
> 
> Warnings for violence, torture, sexual assault, mentions of rape and a tiny bit of language. I feel like I have given ample notice, so please don't read if you don't like that kind of stuff. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> The first chapter is in Jamie's POV.
> 
> Warning for sexual assault and violence in this chapter.

“You’re grounded.”

 

I knew this was coming, but I still dreaded it. “How long?”

 

“Two weeks.”

 

“What! Dad, come on; that’s not fair!” Two weeks?! Is he crazy?

 

“Don’t argue with me! I’m your father; I’ll decide what’s fair. You came home with a black eye and your only explanation is ‘I got into a fight’! At school, no less! I would have never expected this from you. Danny, maybe but not you!”

 

I couldn’t look him in the eyes anymore. I could feel how disappointed he was. I didn’t even do anything wrong, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. I had made a promise. He still made me feel guilty, but I can’t change the past. Even if I could, I wouldn’t have.

 

“And you aren’t going to the Daniel’s BBQ tomorrow either.”

 

“Wait, dad, I’m sorry. Please, I’ve been looking forward to it for weeks! I’ll do anything you want without complaint; just please let me go.” I begged. Ben Daniels is my best friend, and his family had invited us over to a BBQ this weekend for John and Kelly’s 23 anniversary.

 

“Then, tell me exactly what happened and who was involved.”

 

Flashback

 

_“Jamie come on; I want to shower before my next class!”_

 

_Just a minute, Ben! I have to go grab my jacket!”_

 

_“I’m not waiting for you. I’ll see you in class!”_

 

_“Whatever!” I yelled back. He couldn’t even wait 10 seconds; I rolled my eyes. I went over and picked up my jacket and was just about to head to the showers when I heard someone whimpering. Was someone hurt? I looked around, but I only saw the shed the school used to store the outdoor PE supplies. I heard it again. Okay, there’s definitely someone back there. I walked around to the back of the shed. I gasped and dropped my jacket. Samuel Jones had Sarah Kennedy pinned against the wall with his body. He had one hand covering her mouth while the other was trying to pull up her shirt. Samuel heard me and turned to determine the source of the noise. He looked slightly panicked until his eyes landed on me._

 

_“You can have a turn when I’m done.” He said with a sly smirk._

 

_I was shocked. I looked at Sarah and saw the terror written across her face. She was crying, pleading for help with her eyes. I couldn’t let this happen; I had to do something. “Get away from her.”_

 

_He laughed. “ What are you going to do? Tell a teacher? Go ahead; I’ll be done by the time you get back.”_

 

_“I said, get away from her!”_

 

_He laughed again. I growled and charged him. I rammed my shoulder into his side and tackled him to the ground. It wasn’t the brightest idea considering he was probably twice my size. We had barely hit the ground before he threw me off and punched me in the face. Stars exploded in my vision, and I collapsed onto the ground. He stood over me and brought his foot back to kick me; I was too stunned to protect myself. Before he could kick me, Sarah grabbed his shoulder, spun him around, and kicked him in the crotch. He gasped, collapsed, and started moaning. She walked over and helped me up._

 

_“Are you okay?” She asked._

 

_“Yeah… I’m-I’m fine. Are you okay?”_

 

_“I don’t know… Can you please not tell anyone?” She begged._

 

_“We should tell someone. What if he tries to hurt you again?”_

 

_“I… Please, just promise you won’t say anything.” She pleaded. She was crying again._

 

_“Okay...I promise,” I answered hesitantly._

 

_“Thank you,” she whispered before she turned and ran away._

 

End Flashback

 

“I…Can’t,” I answered pitifully.

 

“That’s why you can’t go. Not because you got in a fight, but because you are lying to me. Now go to your room. I don’t want to speak to you until you’re ready to tell me the truth.”

 

“Yes, sir,” I mumbled as I turned. I repressed the urge to cry and slowly made my way to my room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea why this chapter has the summary and authors note twice. I tried to fix it but it hasn't worked so far. Maybe it just takes a minute to update.


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a bit longer than the prologue.
> 
> This chapter contains some violence.
> 
> There are three POV's, I made a line break between each, so I hope it isn't too confusing.
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

By the time Saturday afternoon came, dad had barely said two words to me. I was seriously starting to consider telling him what had happened. I couldn't understand why Sarah didn't want me to tell anyone. I shook my head. I couldn't tell anyone, I had promised, and if she found out that I had told someone, she wouldn't trust me anymore. I wanted her to trust me, to know that she could count on me if she ever needed help. I promised myself that I would keep an eye on her at school, just in case Samuel tried anything.

 

On the other hand, what if he did attack her again? I would have to tell. If the confrontation on Friday wasn't enough to deter him from hurting Sarah, then there wasn't anything we could do to stop him without outside help. So if it happened again, then I would tell dad. He would know what to do.

 

I got up from my homework and headed downstairs. I wanted to talk to dad before he left. I walked into the kitchen to see him reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee.

 

"Dad, can I talk to you for a minute?" He didn't acknowledge me. He acted like I wasn't even there. I felt my eyes stinging and had the sudden urge to run back to my room and cry, but I wouldn't. I felt anger towards him. He never listened to me. He was going to listen whether he wanted to or not. I closed my eyes and sighed. Out of respect, I tried again. "Please, dad."

 

He pursed his lips, sighed, and set down his paper and coffee. "This had better be about the incident yesterday; otherwise, I don't want to hear it."

 

I took a deep breath and prepared myself for his anger and disappointment." I can't tell you what happened." he pursed his lips again and glared at me but otherwise kept quiet." I made a promise that I don't plan on breaking-" He sighed again and picked up his paper and started ignoring me again. I wasn't going to stop, though. "-but I want you to know that, given a choice, I would do it again because it was the only way. I'm sorry that I disappointed you." I waited several seconds, but he continued to ignore me. "I really am sorry, dad," I whispered as I turned to go back to my room.

 

"Danny is picking me up in a few minutes. I expect you to behave while I'm gone."

 

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Right then, we heard someone honk.

 

"That's Danny. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

 

I looked at dad. He didn't spare me a single glance as he turned and walked out the door. I felt my eyes stinging again. He was acting like I didn't even exist. I let out an exasperated sigh when I realized I was crying. I wiped the tears off my face and went back upstairs to finish my homework.

 

_______________

 

 _This is perfect. What are the chances? I can't believe that it had worked out like this._ "We just have to wait for him to leave the kid alone, and then we'll grab him." Denis almost wanted to grab him now, but with the kid's dad being a cop, the chances of success were minimal. So they would wait for the perfect opportunity to take him and then disappear before anyone knew what happened.

 

They watched the house all morning, waiting for Jamie to be left alone. Denis was tired of waiting, but he knew the longer the wait, the sweeter the reward. So when 3:00 rolled around and Frank left without Jamie, Denis wanted to jump for joy. _Finally, we get to have some fun!_

 

"We should wait a few minutes to make sure they don't return. Blake said. _I can't wait to get my hands on this kid. He's going to pay for what he's done._

 

"Fine. Fifteen minutes and then we go in." Denis said with a grin. "Don't worry, he's scrawny; it'll be easy." After precisely 15 minutes, Blake pulled the car around to the back of the house. Denis and Blake put on their masks, exited the vehicle and made their way over to the side door. Denis tried the knob and almost laughed. _You'd think a cop would lock the doors when he left his kid alone._

 

_______________

 

Twenty minutes after dad left, I decided to head downstairs for a soda. Dad's silent treatment was worse than not being able to go to the BBQ. I was hoping my explanation and apology would have gotten some kind of reaction. He probably knows how much it bothers me when he- what was that?

 

"I'll go up and grab him, stay here in case he gets past me."

 

Oh, God! Were they looking for me? I need to call dad! I went to pull it out of my pocket before remembering it was in my room. Crap! I turned and quickly, quietly went back to my room. I closed the door, grabbed my phone, and hid in my closet. I dialed dad's number and hit send. Please answer, please answer, please answer! It went to voicemail. I felt tears threatening to fall. What if he didn't answer? If these guys were really here for me, no one would know I was gone for hours. I tried again, praying harder than I've ever prayed. Please, dad, please answer.

 

"What do you want?" He snapped

 

"Dad, someone broke in." I was trying to keep my breathing under control.

 

His tone changed instantly." Where are you? How many are there?"

 

"I'm in my closet. I'm not sure, at least two."

 

"Okay, Danny called 911. We're on our way, stay where you are, They are probably just looking for valuables."

 

"No, dad, I think they are here for...me." I took a shaky breath.

 

"Why do you think that, Jamie?" he asked hesitantly.

 

"I heard them talking downstairs. One of them said 'I'll go up and grab him, you stay here in case he gets past me."

 

"Okay, okay, umm…"

 

"Jamie, can you climb onto the roof through your window?" Danny asked.

 

"Danny?"

 

"Yeah, buddy, I'm here. Can you get onto the roof?"

 

"I'm scared." God, I sounded like a wimp.

 

"I know Jamie, but you can't let them take you, okay? You have to make sure they don't find you, so I need you to climb onto the roof. You can do this, Jamie, just stay on the line, so we know you're okay." Danny said.

 

"Okay. I can do this." I listened for a few seconds and took a deep breath before opening the closet door. I crawled out and went to the window. As quietly as I could, I opened it. Just as I was about to climb out, I heard my door slam open. I spun around so fast I'm surprised I didn't give myself whiplash. "He found me," I whispered. As soon as the words left my mouth, the masked man charged me. I yelped and dodged to the right, trying to run around him. I didn't get far before he grabbed my arm, making me drop the phone. I could hear dad calling my name. "No! Let me go! Get off me!" I yelled as I tried to twist out of his grip. He tightened his hold and punched me in the face, letting me fall to the ground. I groaned and tried to sit up only to fall back to the floor with a yelp when he kicked me in the ribs.

 

"Stay down, kid."

 

All I could think about was how Danny said that I couldn't let them take me, so I waited for him to turn his back. What did they want me for? Nothing good. Dad, please hurry! The man turned to my phone, and I tried to kick his leg as dad had taught me, it doesn't take much force to break a knee. Unfortunately, he saw it coming, and I missed my intended target. He turned back and glared at me.

 

"You'll pay for that!" he snarled.

 

I watched him pull out a taser, and my eyes widened. I tried to hurry back, but he grabbed my leg and pulled me forward. "Wait! No, don't!" I yelled. He just smiled and thrust the taser into my ribs. I screamed as white-hot pain flared through my body. I thrashed on the floor and tried to force air into my lungs. It was hard to think about anything other than the pain. Finally, it stopped, and I slumped to the floor, gasping for breath. I felt tears gather in my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wasn't going to show him how scared I was.

 

"We need to get out of here."

 

I looked up as another man walked in. I looked back at the first man. He had a pair of handcuffs. Oh, God. This can't be happening. I tried to get up, but I was too weak. He flipped me onto my stomach, and I struggled weakly. He grabbed my left arm and put the cuff on. I felt the panic rise, and I threw my right elbow back, connecting with his head. He grunted, grabbed my arm, and locked it into the cuffs. I cried out when he punched me twice in the kidney. They had me. I was about to be kidnapped, and I couldn't fight my way out. No one was here to save me. I yelped when he yanked my head back by my hair.

 

He leaned down and whispered in my ear "Next time you try something, I'll break all the fingers on your right hand."

 

I let out a desperate sob as he released his hold on me; I had never been so scared. I felt a sharp pain in my arm and turned my head; the man smiled as he put an empty syringe into his pocket. After a few seconds, I could barely keep my eyes open. I tried to fight unconsciousness but, eventually, I couldn't, and it overtook me.

 

_______________

 

The first time Jamie called, I ignored it. He probably wanted to apologize and give vague excuses. I wasn't angry about him getting in a fight. When he refused to tell me what happened, that's when I got mad. Why couldn't he tell me what was going on? Was he in some kind of trouble? Did he do something that he shouldn't have? Then he came and tried to talk to me. When he said he had made a promise that he wouldn't break, I was worried that someone had threatened him. Did he see something that he wasn't meant to see? Trying to hide my fear at the possibility that Jamie had witnessed a crime and had been caught, I hid behind my paper. Then he said he would do it again because it was the only way. If Jamie had witnessed a crime, he would have told me, even if someone had threatened him. My son was the poster boy for doing the right thing, no matter what happened to him. But if he was trying to protect someone else… There was no way he would let someone get hurt if he could stop it. I was startled out of my thought when my phone rang for the second time in as many minutes. Something had to be wrong if he was calling again.

 

"What do you want?" It came out much harsher than I meant.

 

"Dad, someone broke in." As soon as he said those four words, my heart skipped a beat. I could tell he was scared, but he was trying to hide it.

 

I stood up and grabbed my keys. Danny looked up with concern in his eyes. "Where are you? How many are there?" As soon as I asked, Danny stood, grabbed his phone and dialed 911. He gave them the address before hanging up and taking my keys. We both ran toward the car.

 

"I'm in my closet. I'm not sure, at least two."

 

Okay, Danny called 911. We're on our way, Stay where you are. They are probably just looking for valuables." I was trying to reassure him. There had been a few break-ins in our neighborhood in the past couple of months. All but one had been dumb kids looking for easy to pawn electronics.

 

"No, dad, I think they're here for...me." I thought my heart would beat out of my chest. Why would someone be after Jamie? I thought about anyone I put away that had gotten out recently. Maybe someone was out for revenge and saw Jamie as an easy target?

 

"Why do you think that, Jamie?" We had made it to the car, buckling ourselves in. Danny wasted no time pulling out onto the road, Ignoring the honking and cursing that followed when he cut someone off.

 

"Dad put it on speaker." Danny urged as we sped down the street.

 

"I heard them talking downstairs. One of them said 'I'll go up and grab him, you stay here in case he gets past me.'" My breathing picked up, and I looked at Danny, hoping that I had heard him wrong. The look on his face told me that he had heard the same thing I had.

 

"Okay, okay, umm…" Think Frank!

 

"Jamie, can you climb onto the roof through your window?" Danny asked.

 

"Danny?" Jamie asked.

 

"Yeah, buddy, I'm here. Can you get onto the roof?"

 

"I'm scared." God, he sounded it. Danny and I exchanged a look.

 

" I know Jamie, but you can't let them take you, okay? You have to make sure they don't find you, so I need you to climb onto the roof. You can do this, Jamie, just stay on the line, so we know you're okay." I felt myself start to panic. If they got ahold of him before we got there… No, I couldn't think like that. I needed to focus on helping Jamie.

 

"Okay. I can do this." I could hear the determination in his voice. I was so proud of him.

 

A few seconds later, I heard him open the window. I was silently urging him to go faster. I felt the panic surge again when I heard a loud bang.

 

"He found me," Jamie whispered.

 

I felt my world crashing down around me. I had been ignoring him since last night, and I was about to lose him. I was jolted out of my stunned silence when Jamie yelped and dropped the phone. "NO! JAMIE! JAMIE ANSWER ME!"

 

"No! Let me go! Get off me!" Jamie yelled in desperation. I heard him hit the floor and groan.

 

"Danny, go faster!"

 

"Dad… We aren't going to make it."

 

I looked over at Danny and saw the fear in his eyes. I knew he was right; it would be at least ten more minutes before we arrived. I prayed the police would get there in time. I felt tears gather in my eyes. I couldn't hold them back when I heard Jamie cry out. My baby boy was alone with someone who wanted to kidnap him and do who knows what with him. He was hurting Jamie, and I could do nothing to stop him. I hadn't felt this helpless since Mary got sick.

 

"Stay down, kid."

 

I heard shuffling and tried to figure out what was happening. I felt my heart breaking. Please, God, help my son.

 

"You'll pay for that!" The man snarled.

 

Please don't hurt my son.

 

"Wait! No, don't!"

 

I looked over at Danny and saw tears running down his cheeks. He pressed the gas pedal to the floor, trying to urge the car forward faster. Then Jamie screamed, and Danny let out a sob.

 

"We need to get out of here."

 

It was a different voice this time. I heard struggling and the jingling of handcuffs. Then one of the men let out a pained grunt. My pride swelled. Jamie was still fighting back. He wasn't going to make it easy for them. "Ahh!...Ahh!" That was the last thing we heard before the line went dead. I let out a strangled sob. Oh God Jamie I'm sorry! I love you so much. I'm so, so sorry.

 

_______________

 

"He's all yours," Denis said.

 

Blake pulled Jamie up and put him over his shoulder. _This kid is light. I thought he would be better built with how hard Denis had to fight to restrain him._ They made their way back to the car, and Denis popped the trunk. Blake threw Jamie in, grabbed the duct tape, and put a piece over his mouth. Denis smiled down at their unconscious captive and shut the trunk.

 

They drove for an hour and a half before pulling into a driveway and following it to an abandoned house. This particular house had been chosen for its location, which was miles from and structure, and for the fact that it had functioning solar panels. They could use electricity without anyone ever knowing. Blake had come across the house a couple of weeks ago when he had been looking at some nearby property. He was surprised to learn that the owner lived in the city but came back every couple of weeks to make sure the property was properly maintained. When they needed a location to take the kid, this house was the first suggestion.

 

They parked in front of the door and popped the trunk to grab Jamie.

 

"Kid's still out," Denis commented happily.

 

Blake reached in and pulled him over his shoulder before following Denis into the house.

 

They made their way to the basement, and Denis watched as their hostage was secured to the support pillar in the middle of the room.

 

Once Blake was finished, they went back upstairs to gather their supplies. Twenty minutes later, when the car had been unloaded, Blake grabbed the keys. "I've got to make a call before we get started. I'll be back in a few minutes." He turned and walked out the door without waiting for a response.

 

 _This is perfect. Jamie fought hard earlier. He's going to be a lot of fun. I'm gonna mess with the kids head a little while Blake's gone._ He stood and made his way to the basement.

 

_______________

 

When we turned onto our street, I saw the flashing lights of police cars and an ambulance. The paramedics were standing at the back of the bus with a stretcher, waiting for the okay to go in. I was out of the car before Danny had was able to stop.

 

"Dad, wait!"

 

I couldn't wait. If the paramedics were still outside, that meant the house hadn't been cleared yet, signifying we had only arrived just after the police. What if they were still in there, using Jamie as a hostage? He needs me. I pulled my badge out from under my shirt, grabbed the gun from my ankle holster, and ran in. Danny was right behind me, badge out and weapon at the ready. We almost made it to the stairs when we heard a yell.

 

"Police! Hands up!"

 

Danny and I stopped, raised our hands, and turned toward the officer. "I'm detective Reagan, and this is my house. Where is my son?" I was afraid of the answer, but I had to know.

 

He lowered his gun. "I'm sorry, detective, but my partner and I cleared the house. We didn't find anyone, but there are signs of a struggle in one of the upstairs bedrooms."

 

Danny and I both turned and ran to Jamie's room. I stopped just short of crossing the threshold, not wanting to disturb the crime scene. I took everything in quickly. The open window, the phone that was smashed to pieces… The blood on the floor. Was it Jamie's blood or had he injured one of the attackers, giving us a vital lead?

 

"Oh, God, dad. He's gone. What are we going to do?" Danny whispered.

 

"We're going to find him and bring him home," I answered with determination.


	3. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is quite a bit shorter than the last one. It's about 1,770 words.  
> Warning for violence.

The first thing I noticed when I awoke was my throbbing head. The second thing I noticed was that I couldn't move my hands and that I had something over my mouth. My breathing picked up as everything came flooding back. Oh, God, I've been kidnapped! What did they want with me? I tried to move my hands again and realized that I was handcuffed to something. I started to feel light headed and noticed that I was hyperventilating. I focused on slowing my breathing. I didn't want to be unconscious when they came back. Dad had always said that, no matter what, you don't let someone take you. I had tried to fight, I really had, but I had been taken, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He had then said that if you did end up being kidnapped, then you should cooperate as much as possible. The less you angered your captors, the less likely you were to be hurt. I was brought out of my thoughts when a door slammed open.

 

A man walked in and smiled. "I see you're finally awake!" The man exclaimed. He wasn't wearing a mask anymore. This is bad; he isn't worried about me seeing his face.

 

I looked behind him for my other captor, but he wasn't there. I looked back to the man when he started walking toward me. I tried not to let my fear show; I didn't want him to know how helpless he made me feel.

 

He kneeled in front of me, and I yanked my head to the side when he reached for my face. He slapped me and then grabbed my hair, pulling my head up so he could look me in the eyes. "I'm just going to take the tape off, so hold still." His smile sent shivers down my spine. He reached for the tape but stopped. "If you scream, I will hurt you." He looked at me expectantly. I quickly nodded my head in understanding, I just wanted the tape off. He ripped it off, and I bit back a groan. I took a deep breath and looked at my captor. He was smiling that creepy smile again.

 

"So, I'm guessing you need to use the bathroom."

 

It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway. "Yes," I said cautiously. Maybe I would be able to find a way to escape. If the other guy isn't here, I could find a weapon and knock Scary McCreepyson out; I could find help.

 

"I'm going to uncuff you from the pillar. Remember what I said would happen if you tried anything."

 

I nodded, and he disappeared behind me. I felt him unlock the cuffs from one hand. He came around and pulled me roughly to my feet before cuffing my hands in front of me. He grabbed my arm and practically dragged me up the stairs. He pulled me through an empty living room and out a side door. We walked a few yards before he stopped. He smiled, and that's when I noticed the gun. I instinctively tried to take a step back, but his grip on my arm tightened. He pressed the gun against my forehead, and my breathing quickened as I closed my eyes. It took all my willpower to keep from crying.

 

"If you try to run, I will kill you, understand?"

 

I nodded, and he removed the gun. I opened my eyes and looked at the gun. He let go of my arm, but I didn't move. I jumped when he spoke. So much for escaping.

 

"I don't have all day."

 

I quickly turned around and tried to pretend he wasn't there. Once I finished, I turned and looked at my captor. He brought his hand up and, thinking he was going to hit me, I took several steps back. He smirked and brought the gun up.

 

"No, wait! Don't shoot!" I pleaded.

 

"What did I say about trying to run?" He asked, calmly.

 

"I wasn't trying to run, I swear." I almost took another step back, but I stopped myself just in time.

 

"Then, where are you going?"

 

"I-I… N-nowhere." I answered cautiously.

 

"Really?" He moved forward and, this time, I was unable to stop myself from taking a step back.

 

His smirk turned into a gleeful grin, and he tackled me to the ground. I gave a pained gasp as the air was knocked from my lungs. He took advantage of my stunned state and straddled my chest.

 

"I told you what would happen if you tried to run." He pressed the gun against my forehead. He pulled the hammer back, and I could no longer hold back my tears.

 

I let out a terrified sob. I wasn't going to beg for my life. I didn't know what they wanted from me; maybe dying would be better than whatever they had planned. That didn't mean I was ready to die, but if I did, I know mom would be waiting for me.

 

"Are you scared Jamie?"

 

I was terrified. "Y-yes." I choked out.

 

"Good. I'm not going to kill you, at least not yet." He said as he pulled the gun away.

 

My fear spiked at his words. So they did plan on killing me but, what were they going to do first? I wasn't stupid; my dad was a detective. I've heard stories about kids being kidnapped. Some of them ended okay, but most of them didn't. I hoped having a detective for a father helped my chances of being rescued.

 

"I will have to punish you, though. What did I say earlier? 'Next time you try something I'll break all the fingers on your right hand'? Yeah, that sounds about right."

 

"No! I didn't do anything!" I yelled as I tried to buck him off.

 

Unwavered by my thrashing, he grabbed my pinkie and twisted. I screamed in agony when it broke. He repeated the action with my ring finger; I cried out and prayed for him to stop. He grabbed my middle finger and twisted, stopping just before it broke. I was gasping for breath.

 

"Do I need to continue?"

 

I shook my head desperately. "N-no."

 

"Are you going to try to run again?"

 

I shook my head. "No."

 

He stood and pulled me to my feet. I stumbled and tried to keep myself from falling. He grabbed my arm and dragged me back into the house. I blinked my tears away and tried to keep up. For some reason, this guy seemed to hate me, and I didn't want to give him any more reason to hurt me.

 

Once we were back in the basement, he silently guided me to the pillar. He stopped and looked at me. "Sit down." He commanded.

 

I sat with my back against the pillar. The man grabbed my hands, and I whimpered when he jarred my broken fingers. I tried not to pass out while he secured me to the pillar. I was trapped once again; I felt hopelessness creep into my thoughts. He knelt and looked me in the eyes.

 

"Now that you know I will hurt you I suggest that you don't provoke me. Next time you piss me off, I won't stop. Do you understand?"

 

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. He squinted before backhanding me. I closed my eyes with a gasp and tried to stop myself from trembling with fear. I wanted to throw up, but I swallowed, trying to rid myself of the feeling. He pulled my head up by my hair, forcing me to look him in the eye.

 

"Do. You. Understand?" He growled.

 

"Yes," I whispered.

 

"Good." He let go of my hair, stood up, and walked to the stairs. I brought my knees to my chest and rested my head on them as I tried to control my breathing.

 

"I'll be back later, Jamie. Just sit tight." I could hear the smile in his voice.

 

As soon as I heard the door shut, I broke down. I was trembling and sobbing in fear. What would happen when the man came back? I couldn't stop myself from thinking of all the possible answers. I prayed to God and every saint that I could think of; Please, someone, help me.

 

_______________

 

Blake walked to the car, started it, and drove for ten minutes before pulling over. He didn't want Denis to overhear the call. They may be partners in crime, but that didn't mean they trusted each other. He pulled out his phone and dialed Sarah's number. He knew she probably wouldn't answer, but he wanted to tell her that he might not be home tonight. Just as Blake expected, it went to voicemail.

 

"Hey, it's Blake… I just wanted to check in. Umm…anyway, I've got to do something so you probably won't see me till tomorrow. Call me back when you can. Okay, I love you. Talk to you soon."

 

_ I can't wait to tell her that the creep that hurt her won't ever touch her again. I wish she would have told me what happened. _ He considered calling again but knew she wouldn't answer. He looked at the clock and realized that he had been sitting there for twenty minutes.

 

He turned the car around and drove back to the house.  _ I'll make sure he suffers Sarah; I'm doing this for you. _

 

_______________

  
  


Denis walked back upstairs and sat down in one of the fold-up chairs they had brought.  _ Man, this is going to be so much fun, I can't wait for Blake to get back so we can film the video! _ He grabbed the camera equipment, made sure it was fully charged and checked for a blank SD card. He wanted to be ready for when Blake returned.

 

Over the next ten minutes, Denis had taken stock of their supplies. They had enough food and water for two days. They had extra SD cards and a backup camera, just in case.

 

The man reached into his bag and pulled out the taser. He didn't like this last time; I'll start with that. He was about to begin without Blake when he heard a car drive up. He walked over and looked out the window.  _ It's about time Blake.  _ "Where were you? It's been a half hour. I was about to start without you."

 

"It took a little longer than I expected."

 

"Fine. Let's get the show on the road." Denis said with a smirk.


	4. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I looked at the statistics today and over 200 people have viewed this fic! I'm so excited!
> 
> Warning for graphic violence in this chapter.

 

I was jolted awake when the door slammed open. My breath hitched when the man from earlier walked in. I felt tears gather but held them back. I noticed a second man walk in behind him, but unlike the first man, he was wearing a mask. The second man had brought in a camera and was setting it up a few feet away from me. I looked back over at the first man as he started walking toward me. I leaned away from him when he knelt next to me.

 

"We're going to send a little video to daddy. We'll see if he still loves you after he finds out what you did." He stood and walked over to the other man. 

 

"What are you talking about?" I asked timidly. I had no idea what was going on.

 

They both turned to glare at me. The first man pulled his mask out of his back pocket, put it on, and stood in front of the camera, blocking it from my view. I tried to think about what I could have done that would make them hate me. I'm so sorry, dad; I should have told you what happened at school. Maybe you would have let me go to the BBQ, and I wouldn't be here with these crazy people.

 

"Okay, I'm ready." The first man said.

 

"Hello, detective Reagan! I believe I have something of yours." He moved aside, and I looked into the camera.

 

I tried to be strong, to hide my fear, but I was trembling. My eyes were stinging, and I tried to blink the tears away.

 

"Jamie did something that he shouldn't have, and I'm going to punish him. I'll bet you're wondering what he's accused of." He turned and looked at me, expectantly. I glanced over, saw him glaring at me, and looked back at the camera. I was trying to remain calm, but I was slowly losing my fight to keep my fear in check.

 

"We're waiting, Jamie."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." I hoped no one noticed the tremble in my voice.

 

"I was hoping you'd say that." He said with a smile.

 

My breath hitched when I saw the taser. I looked at the other man hoping that he would help me. He looked at me with what I can only describe as glee. Both of these guys are crazy. The first man started moving toward me, and a whimper escaped my lips. "I swear, I didn't do whatever it is that you think I did." I felt tears brimming in my eyes, and I fought to hold them back. "Don't do this!" I felt the tears roll down my cheeks as I remembered the last time I felt the pain the taser had inflicted. "Please don't," I whispered. It was no use. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to prepare myself for the pain. I screamed as white-hot agony tore through my body. I thrashed against the handcuffs and felt blood trickle down my already bruised wrists. As suddenly as it had started, it stopped. I slumped forward, gasping for breath.

 

"Are you ready to confess Jamie?"

 

"I didn't...do any...anything wrong." I gasped between breaths.

 

He growled and thrust the taser into my side. I couldn't hold back the scream as the electricity coursed through my body once again. I thrashed, hitting my head several times before the pain finally stopped. I slumped forward and tried to fight the darkness that threatened to overtake me. Once the black spots cleared, I looked around warily. 

 

"We're still waiting. I'm sure daddy is anxious to hear your confession."

 

I looked him in the eyes. "I did n-nothing wrong!" I sounded much braver than I felt. I was still crying freely, but anger had begun to overpower my fear. "I d-don't know what yo-you think I did, but you h-have the wrong person! You’re w-wasting your time!" I couldn't control my stutter. Was it a side effect of being tased?

 

He punched me in the face, and my head whipped to the side, a pained grunt escaped my lips. He grabbed my hair and yanked my head up. He looked me in the eyes; I could feel the hate radiating off him in waves. "You will confess, and I will punish you accordingly. Obviously, the taser isn't working, so we'll try something else."

 

He stood, and before I could protest, he brought his foot down onto to my leg. I heard a sickening crack a split second before agonizing pain flared through my leg, tearing a bloodcurdling scream from my lips. I sobbed as he put more pressure on my broken leg. "Please, stop! Please! Stop! STOP!" I was crying so hard that I was having trouble breathing. He finally let up, and I tried to curl in on myself as much as possible without hurting my leg. 

 

"Are you ready to confess?" He asked as he sneered down at me.

 

"To w-what? I don't kn-know what you want me t-to say." I stuttered weakly through quiet sobs. I didn't know what they thought I had done. I prayed that my dad would find me soon.

 

"I want you to confess to what you did! You're a disgusting pig, and you deserve to be punished!"

 

"P-please. I sw-swear, I don't kn-know what you're t-talking about."

 

He let out a wild yell and punched me in the face twice before I lost my battle with consciousness, and I fell into blissfully pain-free darkness.

 

_______________

 

An hour after Jamie was taken, we were still looking for leads. I was growing more anxious with each passing minute. Shortly after Danny and I had arrived at the house, we gave our statements to the lead detectives. I was trying to supervise the collection and documentation of evidence discreetly. The blood samples were rushed to the forensics lab. Everyone was silently praying that we would get a match to one of Jamie's kidnappers.

 

"What do we know so far, dad?"

 

"He was taken at approximately 15:20. No prints were found, they weren't stupid. They're still working on the blood samples."

 

"So what you're saying is that we know nothing. We have no leads, and it's already been an hour." 

 

I pursed my lips and nodded. "I shouldn't have made Jamie stay home. I shouldn't have been so hard on him. Maybe he would still be here. Maybe he would be safe."

 

"It's not your fault, dad, you couldn't have known this was going to happen," Danny reassured me. "We need to tell everyone what's going on."

 

"Your right. I'll call pop. Can you call Joe and Erin?"

 

"Of course." He grabbed his phone and went into the dining room.

 

I made my way to my office. I dialed pop's number and hit send; It rang twice before he answered.

 

"Francis! I'm glad you called. I was just thinking about you." 

 

"Pop, something's happened."

 

His light tone immediately sobered. "What is it, Francis?"

 

"Jamie's been kidnapped." I felt tears gather, and I didn't bother trying to stop them. I've seen hundreds of families on the worst day of their lives. You never think something like this could happen to you.

 

"I'm on my way. Are you at home?"

 

"Yes," I whispered.

 

"Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can."

 

"Thanks, pop. Danny's calling Joe and Erin." 

 

"Good. Just hold on son, we're going to figure this out together."

 

"I'll see you soon, pop."

 

"I love you, son."

 

“I love you too pop.”

_______________

 

Blake glared down at the unconscious boy.  _ It had honestly seemed like he had no idea what we were talking about. Maybe we got the wrong kid? No. He was just a good actor. There's no way this is the wrong kid. There's only one Jamie Reagan at Sarah's school. I just wish he would confess so that I could get out of here. _ Blake was starting to doubt himself.  _ What if Denis lied? He wouldn't do that. Right? What if we just tortured an innocent kid. I need Sarah to tell me what happened. _

 

"Let's take a break, Denis. It's not like he's going anywhere."

 

"Fine. I'll send the video. Then we go again."

 

"Why are we filming this?"

 

"We are filming because his father is a detective. He needs to know the kind of monster his son is. When he sees the confession, he'll understand why we are doing this. He is a detective, after all."

 

"Jamie didn't confess."

  
"Don't worry, he'll confess. Then you'll get your revenge."  _ And I'll get mine. _


	5. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is a little later than usual. I had to work this morning, and then I was traveling.
> 
> Warning for graphic violence and a teensy bit of language.

Forty-five minutes after I called pop, everyone had arrived. 

 

"So what do we do dad?" Joe asked.

 

"We wait for the evidence to be processed or for them to contact us." I was praying that the blood sample would lead us to his kidnapper.

 

"So, there's nothing we can do?" Erin asked, angrily.

 

"I know exactly how you feel Erin, but all we can do is wait," I answered. 

 

"Do we have any idea who took him?" Henry asked.

 

"The detectives are looking into anyone from my past that would seek revenge, but so far they haven't found anything." Right then, two detectives walked in.

 

"Detective Reagan, can we talk?" Detective Cale asked. Detective Cale and his partner detective Phillips were well known. They had a good reputation and were always sympathetic to the victims and families. I was glad they were the ones assigned to the case. 

 

"Anything you have to say, you can say in front of them."

 

"Okay. We got the blood test results back; there were two different samples. The first one is a match for your son. However, we didn't get a match for the second sample. They aren't in the database."

 

"So we still don't have any leads?" Henry asked.

 

"I'm sorry commissioner, but we are doing everything to make sure that we find Jamie and bring him home." 

 

"Thank you, detective," Henry said.

 

"What if they can't find anything, what if he-what if they-"

 

"No, Erin. We can't think like that. We have to believe that he's still alive. If they had just wanted to...kill him, they would have done it here." Henry told her.

 

Please don't take him from me. Please, God, bring him home alive.

 

_______________

  
  


Denis grabbed the camera and went upstairs. _ I wish I could see Reagan's face when he watches the video.  _

 

Blake watched Denis leave and walked over to Jamie.  _ I need to talk to Sarah. _ Reluctantly, Blake turned and followed Denis up the stairs. 

 

Denis was sitting at the table. He had the camera hooked up to the computer, and he was bouncing his knee with impatience. 

 

"How's it going?" Blake asked.

 

"I'm uploading the file now. It should be done in a couple of minutes." Five minutes later, Denis unplugged the camera and shut the laptop. "It's on its way." He got up and walked over to the cooler. "I'm going to make a sandwich; you want one?"

 

"No, thanks."  _ Come on, Sarah, call back already. _ "I've got to go make a call. I'll be right back."

 

"Fine, whatever."

 

Blake walked out the door and around the side of the house. He pulled out his phone and dialed Sarah. "Come on, Sarah, pick up." _ Great, voicemail. _ "Hey, Sarah, it's me again. I need you to call as soon as you get this. I need to ask you something important. Please call me back." He hung up and went back inside. Denis was finishing his sandwich.

 

"Alright, let's go wake the kid up," Denis said as he walked down the stairs.

 

_ There is no way we got the wrong kid. Right?  _ Blake sighed in defeat and slowly made his way downstairs.

 

_______________

  
  


It's almost been three hours, and we still didn't have any leads. The forensics team was still going over the evidence; detective Cale was going over anyone who had a grudge against me. Detective Phillips was keeping a close eye on my email. I was going over the potential suspects with Cale, none of them stood out. Everyone was growing frustrated. Being in a family of cops, everyone knew that the first forty-eight hours were crucial. We only had forty-five left. The time seemed to be passing agonizingly slow and frighteningly fast at the same time.

 

"Reagan, you just got an email." Detective Phillips said.

 

I rushed over to look. It was labeled Confession: Part One. 

 

"What is it, dad?" Danny asked.

 

"Is it them?" Joe asked.

 

"Yes," I answered.

 

"What does it say? Is it a ransom?" Erin asked.

 

I opened the email. "It's a video," I answered quietly. 

 

"Are we just going to stand here or, are we going to watch it?" Danny asked.

 

I closed my eyes and sighed. "Of course, we are going to watch it." I looked at Erin and Joe.

 

"I'm not going anywhere," Joe stated.

 

"I'm staying too," Erin said.

 

I looked them in the eyes. We didn't know what was in the video, but I knew they weren't going anywhere.

 

"Okay, Francis, let's get this over with." Pop said as he put a comforting hand on my shoulder.

 

I looked at Danny; his eyes were filled with emotion. He nodded. Everyone gathered around, including the detectives, and I pressed play.

 

"Hello, detective Reagan! I believe I have something of yours." The man that spoke was wearing a mask, and I recognized his voice from the phone call. I looked at Danny, and he confirmed my suspicion with a nod.

 

When he moved, Joe gasped. "Oh, God, Jamie." 

 

His left eye was black and slightly swollen. He was sitting on the ground with his hands secured around a pillar behind him. He had dried tear tracks on his cheeks. He was trying to hide his fear, but I could tell that he was terrified. 

 

"Jamie did something that he shouldn't have, and I'm going to punish him. Before we get started, though, I'll bet you're wondering what he's accused of." The man turned to look at Jamie. Jamie looked at him fearfully before quickly turning back to the camera. When Jamie didn't say anything, the masked man spoke again. "We're waiting, Jamie."

 

"I don't know what you're talking about." I could hear the tremble in his voice.

 

"I was hoping you'd say that."

 

"Don't touch him, you bastard," Danny whispered.

 

A look of pure fear crossed Jamie's face as his captor started walking toward him. He looked behind the camera and then back at something in the man's hand.

 

"I swear, I didn't do whatever it is that you think I did." It broke my heart, he was so scared, and I couldn't help him. "Don't do this!" I watched as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Please, don't." I barely heard him whisper. He closed his eyes and screamed. He thrashed against the pillar as electricity coursed through his body. After five seconds, it stopped, and Jamie slumped forward and gasped for breath.

 

I couldn't hold back my tears as they escaped my eyes. I didn't know if I could watch them torture my baby. 

 

"Why are they doing this. What would Jamie have done to deserve this?" Joe asked.

 

"No one deserves this," Henry whispered.

 

"Are you ready to confess Jamie?"

 

"I didn't...do any...anything wrong." He gasped.

 

The man growled and thrust the taser into Jamie's side. When he screamed, I heard Erin let out a sob. Ten seconds later it stopped, and Jamie slumped forward. He looked like he was fighting to stay conscious. 

 

"Oh, Jamie, I'm so sorry." I sobbed quietly.

 

"We're still waiting. I'm sure daddy is anxious to hear your confession."

 

Jamie looked him in the eyes. "I did n-nothing wrong!" He yelled, angrily. "I do-don't know what yo-you think I did, but you h-have the wrong person! Your w-wasting your time!" I was worried about his stutter; it was a side effect of being electrocuted. If this kept up, it could become permanent, but my pride swelled at his defiance. He didn't do anything wrong, and he wasn't going to let them tell him otherwise.

 

Jamie grunted when he was punched in the face. The masked man yanked Jamie's head up by his hair. "You will confess, and I will punish you accordingly. Obviously, the taser isn't working, so we'll try something else." 

 

He stood and brought his foot down onto Jamie's left leg. "NO!" I yelled when I heard the bone snap. Jamie let out a bloodcurdling scream. He put more pressure onto the broken limb. "Please, stop! Please! Stop! STOP!" Finally, he backed off. Jamie was sobbing so hard it sounded painful. He tried to curl in on himself as much as he could without jostling his leg. I could hear Erin crying, but I couldn't make myself look away from Jamie.

 

"Are you ready to confess?"

 

"To w-what? I don't kn-know what you want me t-to say." He replied brokenly.

 

Please don't hurt him anymore. Please believe him.

 

"I want you to confess to what you did! You're a disgusting pig, and you deserve to be punished!"

 

"P-please. I sw-swear, I don't kn-know what you're t-talking about."

 

Please, please don't hurt him. He didn't do anything wrong. Just let him go.

 

The man yelled and punched Jamie in the face twice, knocking him out cold and then the screen went black.

 

_______________

 

"Oh my God," Joe whispered brokenly.

 

Everyone had tears in their eyes; even the detectives looked like they wanted to cry. Now that it was quiet, I could hear Erin's muffled sobs. I turned to find her pressed tightly against pops chest.

 

"Damn it! Why Jamie? What could he have done?" Danny shouted.

 

"This is Jamie we're talking about. There is nothing he could have done to warrant this." Joe replied.

 

"What are we going to do?" Erin asked through her tears.

 

I closed my eyes. I wanted to be strong for my family, for Jamie, but I didn't know what to do. I felt fresh tears escape my eyes. "I don't know," I whispered. I felt someone hug me, and I opened my eyes. It was Erin, I hugged her back and beckoned for the others to join. Everyone was crying, and for the second time in my life, I felt utterly helpless.

 

"We're working on a trace, but it's going to take some time."

 

I looked up into Cale's eyes and nodded my thanks. Please let us find him in time.


	6. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your views and kudos!
> 
> Warnings for graphic violence, threats of rape, and a teensy bit of language.

I awoke to a stinging sensation on my cheek. My eyes fluttered open when I realized that I'd been slapped. A split second later, I was struck again, my head snapping to the side. I looked up and flinched when my tormentor raised his hand. I waited for the blow, but it never came.

"Good, you're awake." He said.

I groaned as pain flared up my leg. I squeezed my eyes shut and held as still as possible until the sharp pain settled to a dull throb. I felt myself trembling as I looked for the other man. He was behind the camera and, like before; he had a mask on. "Please-" I was cut off when I was hit again.

"Shut up!" The first man yelled.

I clamped my mouth shut and tried to blink back my tears. I looked at the man in the mask and silently pleaded for help. He looked at me for a second before turning back to the camera. Uncertainty flashed in his eyes before he could compose himself. He focused on the other man and waited for him to put his mask on before recording.

"Hello, detective! Sorry, our last session got cut short. You really need to teach your kid how to take a hit." He looked at me before continuing. "Are you ready to confess?"

I looked him in the eye. "I have done nothing wrong," I said in what I hoped was a steady voice.

He smiled and pulled the gun out. My eyes went wide, and I started hyperventilating. I knew there was no reasoning with him, so I looked at the other man. "I didn't do anything. I don't know what else to say... Please." He wouldn't even look at me. I didn't even try to stop the tears as they fell freely. I looked back to my tormentor as he knelt in front of me, gun held loosely in his hand. "Don't do this." I pleaded. I closed my eyes when he brought the gun up and pressed it into my shoulder. "Please don't," I said desperately. My eyes snapped open when I heard him pull the hammer back. I started thrashing, trying to pull away. "No! Don't! I swear, I didn't do anything!" I screamed between sobs. I managed to knock the gun away, and the man wrapped his free hand around my throat. I gasped as he tightened his hold, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

"Hold. Still." He demanded through gritted teeth. He tightened his grip, cutting off my air completely. I bucked and thrashed against him as my lungs screamed for oxygen. After only a couple of seconds, spots danced in my vision. Only when I slumped forward, barely conscious, did he release his hold. I sucked in a desperate, greedy breath before coughing violently. I gasped for air between coughs and sobbed in relief when I finally got a lungful of air. My relief quickly turned to dread as he pressed the gun against my shoulder. My body shook with sobs but, otherwise, I didn't move. I clenched my eyes shut and waited for the pain. He pulled the trigger, and the world seemed to freeze. I screamed in frustration and fear when nothing happened.

"Next time, it will be loaded." He said calmly.

I was getting light headed and realized that I was hyperventilating. I closed my eyes and focused on controlling my breathing; the last thing I needed was to pass out again. Eventually, I slowed my breathing, I was still crying quietly, but I felt like I was in control of myself again.

"I'll give you one last chance to confess."

"I don't kn-know what you w-want me to say," I whispered shakily.

He wrapped his hand around my throat again, applying just enough pressure to make it difficult to breathe. "I want you to admit that you raped Sarah Kennedy!"

"No...I didn't-." I choked out desperately.

"I know you did! There was a witness! Pictures! There is no way you can deny it!"

He released me, stood, and looked down at me with triumph in his eyes. I coughed and took deep breaths. My head was spinning. Sarah was...raped? "I never touched Sarah! It was Samuel, he was going to, but I stopped him! I would never do that to someone!"

"Now that everyone knows what you've done, I can punish you."

Fresh tears fell, and I tried to think of a way out of this. "Wh-what are you going to d-do?" I looked at him, desperately hoping that he would just kill me.

He smiled. "I want you to know exactly how she felt when you raped her."

Oh, God. Please no, anything but that. I couldn't hold back the fear anymore. I broke down, unable to hold myself together. He walked over to me, knelt, and grabbed my thigh. "NO! GET OFF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!" With as much force as I could, I kicked him in the groin. He let out a strangled gasp and fell back, clutching his damaged goods. He lay there, gasping for breath. I looked at the man behind the camera; he looked back and forth between us with a shocked look on his face. After a few seconds, he snapped out of it and went to turn off the camera. I jumped when my tormentor spoke.

"Leave it." The man on the ground growled.

I started hyperventilating again as he stood on shaky legs. I was frozen under his rage-filled glare. Without warning, he kicked my broken leg, and I let out an agonizing scream. He kicked me several times in the chest, and I slumped sideways, the handcuffs digging uncomfortably into my wrists. Pain spiked through my broken fingers, and I gasped through gritted teeth. He kicked me one more time before finally stopping. I lay there half conscious, my breath coming in desperate wheezes. For a few seconds, no one moved. Finally, he knelt and whispered in my ear. "I'm going to break you, mentally and physically, and then I'll kill you."

I let out a choked sob and wished that I could just fall asleep and never wake up. Then he stood, kicked me in the face and everything went black.

_______________

 

Denis winced as he stood. _The kid got me good. I'm going to make him suffer for it._ He smiled and turned to Blake. "Give me the camera; I'll send the video."

Blake handed the camera over and looked down at their unconscious captive. _Jamie had no idea what Denis was talking about. Could we have gotten it wrong? Denis doesn't seem to care, but…if this wasn't the right kid then who did it?_ Blake went upstairs and watched Denis hook the camera up to the laptop. He decided that he needed some fresh air. Blake walked outside and pulled out his phone, hoping that Sarah would call. Just as he was about to call her again, Denis walked out.

"I sent the video. I'll finish with him later; right now, I need a drink."

Blake nodded. _This is my chance. With Denis gone, I'll be able to talk to the kid myself._ He watched Denis drive away before heading back inside.

_______________

 

An hour after we received the first video, I got a second email. Detective Phillips alerted me, and we gathered around the computer. I looked at the file. It was labeled Confession: Part Two. I couldn't quite make myself open it.

"We can go over the video; you don't have to watch if you don't want to."

I closed my eyes and sighed. I had to watch it. I felt like it was my fault that Jamie was in this mess. I needed to know what they were doing to him. "No. I need to watch." I took a deep breath and pressed play.

My eyes locked onto Jamie. He looked awful. The whole left side of his face was bruised and swollen. The right side of his face had a red handprint on it. He had blood dripping off his chin from a bloody nose. He was trying to hide it, but I knew he was terrified.

"Hello, detective! Sorry, our last session got cut short. You really need to teach your kid how to take a hit."

"He can take a hit, you beat the shit out of him," Danny growled.

He turned and looked at Jamie. "Are you ready to confess?"

Jamie looked him right in the eyes. "I have done nothing wrong." He said in a steady voice. I could just barely hear the tremble in it.

The man smiled and pulled out a gun. Jamie's eyes widened, and he started hyperventilating. The look that crossed his face was pure fear.

"No…" Joe whispered.

Jamie turned and looked behind the camera. "I didn't do anything. I don't know what else to say... Please." He looked behind the camera for a few seconds before he let his tears fall. I felt my own well, but I held them back. He looked back at the man with the gun.

"Don't do this." Jamie pleaded. He brought the gun up and pressed it into Jamie's right shoulder. Jamie squeezed his eyes shut. "Please, don't." His eyes snapped open when the man pulled the hammer back. He started thrashing and kicking with his good leg. "No! Don't! I swear, I didn't do anything!" He screamed as he began to sob.

Please, God, please don't let him be dead. I felt my tears roll down my cheeks. Jamie was hurting and scared, and there was nothing I could do to help him.

He managed to knock the gun away, and the man wrapped his free hand around my son's throat. Jamie gasped as the man tightened his hold. He tried to breathe but only managed shallow wheezes.

I heard someone crying, but I couldn't tear my eyes away for my son.

"I'm going to kill him," Danny stated.

"Hold. Still." He demanded through gritted teeth. He tightened his grip, cutting off Jamie's air completely. He was still thrashing against his bonds, but his efforts were quickly weakening. After a few seconds, Jamie seemed to give up. His body went limp, and his eyes fluttered closed.

"Please let him go. Please don't kill him." Pop desperately begged.

Finally, the man released Jamie, and I let out a sob of relief. He sucked in a breath before coughing, and he started crying again as he struggled to catch his breath. I tensed as the gun was pressed against his shoulder. His body shook with sobs. He closed his eyes, and my heart broke when a look of defeat crossed his face. Jamie screamed when the man pulled the trigger, and everyone jumped. There was no gunshot, no blood. I realized that the gun was empty and he was just messing with our heads.

"Next time, it will be loaded." He said calmly.

Jamie was hyperventilating. "Breathe son, deep breaths," I told him. Eventually, his breathing slowed. "Good boy," I whispered.

"I'll give you one last chance to confess."

"I don't kn-know what you w-want me to say." He whispered shakily.

He wrapped his hand around Jamie's throat again. I could hear Jamie struggling for breath.

"I want you to admit that you raped Sarah Kennedy!"

"WHAT?!" Joe and Danny yelled at the same time.

"No...I didn't-." Jamie choked out desperately.

"I know you did! There was a witness! Pictures! There is no way you can deny it!"

"Who is Sarah Kennedy?" Danny asked.

He released my son and stood, still looking at Jamie. He coughed and tried to catch his breath. "I never touched Sarah! It was Samuel; he was going to but, I stopped him! I would never do that to someone!"

"Now that everyone knows what you've done, I can punish you."

"No! It wasn't him!" Joe pleaded.

"Wh-what are you going to d-do?" He asked, fearfully.

The man smiled. "I want you to know exactly how she felt when you raped her." He answered menacingly.

"Oh my God, no. Please, no, he didn't do it." I whispered. I was terrified.

"Don't touch him, you sick pervert!" Joe yelled.

Jamie broke down; he looked defeated. The man walked over, knelt, and grabbed Jamie's thigh. "NO! GET OFF ME! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Jamie screamed. He brought his foot back and kicked him in the groin. The man fell to the ground with a gasp.

"Have you found a location yet?" Pop asked the detectives.

"Not yet, but we're close." detective Phillips answered.

Jamie looked behind the camera for a moment but jumped when the man on the floor spoke.

"Leave it." The man growled before standing.

Jamie was hyperventilating again as the man stood over him. Without warning, he kicked Jamie's broken leg, and he screamed. The man kicked him four times in the chest and stomach before Jamie slumped to the side. He kicked him one more time before finally stopping. Jamie lay on the floor, barely conscious. The man knelt and whispered something in his ear. Jamie let out a choked sob as the man stood and kicked him in the face.

"Oh, Jamie." Pop choked out.

Jamie looked so fragile as he lay there unconscious. The screen went black, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. I was in shock. How could someone ever think Jamie would hurt someone like that? I turned and looked into the tear-streaked face of my father. I wanted him to say everything was going to be okay. That we were going to find Jamie and that we would be a happy, healthy family again. I wanted to hear those words more than anything, but I knew they were lies. We would never be the same after this. Even if- no WHEN we got Jamie back. Please, God, don't take him from me. I not ready.

Everyone was frozen in shock. Those men were going to...hurt my son in the worst way possible. We had to find him. Now.

"He's lying. There is no way Jamie would ever hurt someone like that." Joe said.

I thought back to everything that was said in the video. "Who is Sarah Kennedy?" I asked.

Detective Phillips was looking at his laptop, searching for the answer. "It looks like she goes to school with Jamie. She's a junior, lives with her brother, umm...Blake Kennedy. Their parents died a few years ago, and Blake took custody of Sarah. He also mentioned a Samuel. It looks like there are three Samuel's that go to school with them. Two are freshman, Samuel Carr and Samuel Simms. The other is Samuel Jones; he's a senior."

"Do we know which one Jamie was talking about?" Danny asked.

"We can't know for sure until we talk to them." Detective Cale answered.

We finally had a lead. We finally knew the motive behind Jamie's kidnapping but..was it enough? Would we be able to find him in time?

"We'll get officers to talk to all three of them and their family and friends. Detective Cale and I are going to find Sarah." Detective Phillips said.

"Let us know if they contact you again. We'll let you know if we find anything." Detective Cale said.

"Thank you, detectives." Pop said as he shook their hands.


	7. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the shorter chapters. I promise the next one is much longer!
> 
> There is a new perspective in this chapter!

I waved at Laura as she drove away. I pulled out my keys and unlocked the door. I put my things away, turned on the T.V., and went to the kitchen to find something to eat. While I was looking through the fridge, I absentmindedly listened to the news.

 

"-new Amber Alert out for a 17-year-old Jameson Reagan."

 

I froze. Jamie? I closed the fridge and ran to the living room.

 

"He was last seen in his home at approximately 3:00 this afternoon. He is 5'8" and 145 pounds. He has short brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a navy blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and black and blue tennis shoes. Police urge you to call 911 if..."

 

I sat down slowly, no longer hearing the Newscaster. What happened to Jamie? Was he okay? He saved me, and now he's missing. I must be cursed. First mom and dad, then what happened last week, now Jamie? I felt tears fall. Why does the world hate me? What did I do? At least I still had Blake.

 

No longer hungry, I felt in my pocket for my phone. Upon not finding it, I remember accidentally leaving it before going shopping. I slowly made my way to my room. I felt dazed, detached almost. Finally locating my phone, I dialed Blake's number and hit send.

 

_____________

 

Blake was about to head downstairs when his phone rang. Pulling it out, he saw that it was Sarah.

 

"Sarah, thank God."

 

"Blake?" She asked tearfully.

 

Fear spiked through him at his sisters distressed tone. "Sarah? What's wrong?"

 

"A kid from my school is missing. I just saw it on the news."

 

 _So they put out an Amber Alert on Jamie._ "Oh Sarah, I should have known that he hurt you and done something sooner."

 

"What are you talking about? What did you do?"

 

"I'm so sorry, Sarah. I know what he did to you. Why didn't you tell me?"

 

"I don't know what you're talking about."

 

"Sarah… I know he raped you…"

 

"WHAT? No Blake you've got it all wrong! Jamie saved me. He didn't hurt me. It was Samuel."

 

 _I had hoped that I was wrong. I wanted Jamie to be guilty. God, we just tortured an innocent kid._ "You mean… He was telling the truth?"

 

Blake heard Sarah burst into tears. "Blake what did you do? Where's Jamie?" She stuttered between sobs.

 

"I… I'm so sorry, Sarah. I didn't know…" _I'm so sorry, Jamie. What have I done?_

 

"Blake what did you do?!" She practically yelled.

 

"I thought he hurt you. I did it for you."

 

"Jamie didn't do anything!"

 

“I'm so sorry; I'm going to get him out of this." _We have to get out of here. Why did I believe Denis?!_

 

"Get him out of what? Just let him go!"

 

"It's complicated, Sarah, it's not just me. This other guy is crazy; we have to get out of here before he comes back. I'm so sorry. I'll call you when I can. I love you, Sarah." Before she could protest, Blake hung up. _Denis has only been gone for about twenty minutes; we should have plenty of time to get out of here._ He walked toward the basement, stopping with his hand on the door. He turned and grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen. _It's been hours; the kid is probably thirsty._

 

_______________

  


"Wait!" I tried to stop him, but he had already hung up. He kidnapped Jamie. He kidnapped Jamie! Oh, my God! What do I do? I should call the police but…Blake will go to jail. I'll be alone again. No! Jamie's life is more important than my loneliness. I'll go to his father; he's a detective. I'll tell him whatever he wants to know. I grabbed the keys and my bag before heading for the car. I slid into the driver’s seat and buckled in. Why didn’t I just go to the police?! I’m so stupid! “AAAHHHH!” I screamed in frustration and anger. I felt tears on my face and quickly wiped them away. I started the car and threw it into reverse. I’m not going to be a coward anymore. I’ll do whatever I need to if it means I can help Jamie.

 

_______________

  


Blake opened the door and walked down the stairs. He heard Jamie crying and stopped at the bottom of the stairs as he took in the scene before him.

 

Jamie was laying on his side, curled up as much as he could with his hands cuffed to the pillar. His leg was at an awkward angle that looked painful, but he probably couldn’t get the right leverage to sit up. He was sobbing and whimpering unintelligible words. His face was covered in bruises, blood, and tears. He was shaking uncontrollably, whether out of fear or pain or both. _Oh my God, what have I done?_ He stepped forward quickly and knelt in front of the injured captive. He reached out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he immediately recoiled, and Blake jumped back.

 

"No! P-please don't hu-hurt me any-anymore, please." He cried.

 

"It's okay, Jamie, I'm not going to hurt you. I promise," Blake calmly responded as he placed his hand on Jamie's shoulder again. He flinched, but Blake didn't move.

 

"Pl-please, I didn't hurt Sa-Sarah. I swear. Please do-don't hurt me." He begged through sobs.

 

It broke Blake's heart to hear how terrified the kid was. _I did this. This is all my fault._ "It's going to be okay, Jamie. I'm going to take the cuffs off, okay? I promise I won't hurt you."

 

Blake took out the key, walked around the pillar and released Jamie form the handcuffs. He brought his left arm around and wrapped it around his torso, but his right arm was trapped underneath his body. He laid like that for a few seconds before he tried to push himself up. He only made it a couple of inches off the ground before his arm gave out. Blake reached out and prevented his head from colliding with the floor. Jamie flinched but didn’t pull away.

 

“Can I help you up?”

 

Jamie looked up at his captor as if to see if it was a trick. After a few seconds, he looked away and nodded. Blake carefully laid a hand on his shoulder to assess Jamie’s reaction. When he didn’t pull away, he slid a hand under his other shoulder and slowly lifted his body until he was resting against the pillar. He let go and watched as the beaten and bloody child tried to adjust his position without causing himself more pain. _I should have never involved Denis. I should have never believed him._ Jamie wrapped his left arm around his torso and cradled his right hand against his chest.

 

"Jamie? What happened to your hand?" He asked gently.

 

"He said… He said I tried to escape…"

 

Blake closed his eyes in disgust. _It must have happened when I was gone earlier._ Blake watched as Jamie slowly calmed down. After about five minutes, he hadn't stopped crying, but, he was in control of his breathing.

 

"I brought you some water," Blake said as he unscrewed the cap and held out the bottle.

 

Jamie looked at him skeptically for a minute before, hesitantly, taking it. He brought the bottle to his lips and took greedy gulps.

 

"Slow down; you'll make yourself sick." He flinched at the words but obeyed. Once the bottle was empty, Blake spoke. "I'm going to get you out of here."

 

The captive looked up with fearful eyes. "Where are you going to take me?" He whispered.

 

"To the hospital."

 

"Why? Why now? I thought you wanted to kill me." He whispered.

 

"I never wanted to kill anyone. That was all Denis."

 

"Why should I believe you? I don't even know your name."

 

"It's Blake. We need to get out of here before he gets back. He took the car, so we'll have to walk."

 

"I don't think I can walk." He said, looking at his leg.

 

"Right, your leg. I'll just have to carry you. If you want." The man added as an afterthought.

 

Jamie looked at him for a moment before nodding.

 

Blake stood and put one arm behind Jamie's back and one under his knees. Jamie tensed and gasped in pain as he was lifted. "Sorry," Blake muttered. He waited a moment for the kid to relax and turned around.

 

He froze when he came face to face with Denis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the cliff hanger! Please, don't hate me!!! If I had combined this chapter and the next, it would have been way too long. I think chapter seven is the longest chapter in this fic!
> 
> The next update will be on Friday!


	8. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter with Sarah's POV.
> 
> I hope this makes up for how short chapter six was! Chapter seven is over 3,800 words. I'm pretty sure it's the longest chapter in this fic.
> 
> Warnings for graphic violence, sexual assault, and mentions of rape.

I knocked on the door cautiously. How could Blake do it? Why didn't I just go to the police? None of this would have happened if I had just told someone. I was startled out of my thoughts when the door opened. The man that answered the door was well over 6' tall. I had to crane my neck up to look him in the face. He had hazel eyes and brown hair. His most prominent feature was his thick mustache, his eyes were red from crying.

 

"Can I help you?" He asked, politely.

 

"I'm looking for Frank Reagan."

 

"I'm Frank. What can I do for you?"

 

"My name is Sarah; I go to school with Jamie."

 

"Sarah Kennedy?" He asked.

 

I nodded, and he invited me in.

 

"How did you know? Did...did Jamie tell you about me?" He had promised not to tell. He had seemed sincere at the time but... Maybe he changed his mind later?

 

"No."

 

If Jamie didn't say anything, how did they know about me? I nodded again and followed him into the living room. There were several people; some looked as though they had been crying. One woman was sitting on the couch, openly sobbing into a man's chest. Everyone looked up when we walked in.

 

"This is Sarah Kennedy," Frank stated.

 

Everyone stared at me with shocked expressions.

 

"Joe, will you call the detectives?" Frank asked. A man, Joe, I assumed, stood and nodded.

 

Detectives? Did they know that Jamie had been kidnapped? I need to tell them. "I know who took Jamie." I blurted. Everyone froze and looked at me. It was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

 

"What?! How?!" A man yelled.

 

"W-well I-I...umm I-" I stuttered. He was angry and walking toward me. I took several steps back before running into a wall.

 

"Danny! Calm down and stop yelling. You're scaring her. She's obviously here to help." The man holding the crying woman said calmly before turning to me. "I'm sorry about him. As you can probably imagine, we are all a little on edge. Please sit."

 

I walked over to an empty chair and sat down. "It was my brother. Blake Kennedy." I said softly.

 

"Joe, call the detectives. Now," Frank said sternly.

 

Joe nodded and left the room. He came back a couple of minutes later. "They said they'd be here in fifteen minutes."

 

By the time the detectives had arrived, I had learned everyone's name. The crying woman, Erin, Is Jamie's sister. Henry, the man holding her, is his grandfather, and Frank's father. Joe, the man on the phone, is Jamie's brother. The remaining person, the angry man, is Danny, Jamie's other brother.

 

Everyone gathered in the living room, and the detectives started asking questions.

 

"Are you sure Blake took Jamie?" Detective Cale asked.

 

"Yes. He told me."

 

"When?"

 

"About an hour ago. I called him; he had left a couple of voicemails asking me to call when I could."

 

"Do you still have the voice mails?" Detective Phillips asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"Can you play them for us?"

 

"Sure," I answered as I pulled out my phone. I played the first one.

 

"Hey, it's Blake… I just wanted to check in. Umm… Anyway, I've got to do something so you probably won't see me till tomorrow. Call me back when you can. Okay, I love you. Talk to you soon."

 

I felt tears spring to my eyes. How could he do this? How could he kidnap someone? He knows that I need him, why would he risk going to jail? I felt the tears fall, and Henry handed me a tissue. "I'm so sorry. I can't believe he would do something like this."

 

"It's not your fault, Sarah," Frank reassured me.

 

"Yes, it is! If I had just gone to the police after the first time, Jamie would be fine!" I sobbed. Why didn't I just go to the police?

 

"What do you mean, the first time?" Henry asked softly.

 

I took several deep breaths and remembered the promise that I made myself. "A few weeks ago, I was walking home from school. I had to stay late to use the computer because we don't have one at home. It was right around the time football practice got over. Sa...Samuel and some of his friends saw me and followed me. Most of the kids at school just ignore me, but for some reason, S-Samuel hates me. Eventually, they cornered me in an alley; they were taunting me, calling me names and throwing things at me. I ignored them, and it made them mad, so they pushed me to the ground and took my bag. They dumped it out and set fire to my textbooks. I tried to get up and run, but Samuel tackled me to the ground. Two of his friends held my arms and legs, I tried to fight them off, but I wasn't strong enough. After he ra-..." I could feel myself trembling. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself to finish. I hadn't told anyone what happened, but if it helps Jamie, then I needed to do it. "After he hurt me, he showed me pictures that his friends had taken and said if I told anyone, he would send them to every student and teacher in the school. I went home and tried to pretend that it had never happened. Then on Friday, he cornered me behind the storage shed on the far side of the football field. He told me to do what he said, or he would send the pictures. At that point, I wished I had gone to the police. I would rather be humiliated than have him touch me again." I shuddered as I felt the ghosting of his hands on me.  "Then I saw Jaime; he was one of the only kids in the whole school who was always nice to me. He saved me; I don't even want to think about what would have happened if he hadn't shown up." By the time I finished my story, I was openly crying. I didn't even feel embarrassed about it. I looked up, and everyone was sitting in shocked silence.

 

Erin stood and walked over to me. She pulled me into a tight hug and let me cry. "I'm so sorry, Sarah. None of this is your fault." We stayed like that for a few minutes before I finally calmed down. I pulled back and nodded my thanks.

 

"I guess you want to hear the other voicemail?"

 

"Umm...yes. That would be great." Detective Cale said softly.

 

"Hey Sarah, it's me again. I need you to call as soon as you get this. I need to ask you something important. Please call me back."

 

"I went shopping with my aunt, and I left my phone at home. I got home around 8:00 and turned on the news. That's when I saw that Jamie was missing. I called Blake; I didn't listen to the messages until after he hung up on me. I was worried about Jamie, and after he told me that he had taken him, I found out where you lived and took the car."

 

"What exactly did Blake say when you called him?" Detective Phillips asked.

 

"Well, I was crying. He asked me what was wrong, and I told him about Jamie."

 

"He said he was sorry, that he should have known that he had hurt me. He said he should have done something sooner. That's when I knew something was wrong. Blake said that he knew about what happened and who did it. That's when I realized he meant Jamie. I told him Jamie was innocent. He sounded confused, and then he said he was going to help Jamie. He said the other guy is crazy so he had to hurry and then he hung up."

 

"Did he mention a name?" Detective Phillips asked.

 

"No. I'm sorry, that's all I know." 

 

"That's okay; you did great. Would you be willing to help us with something?" Detective Cale asked.

 

"Of course," I answered.

 

"Okay here's what we're going to do. You're going to call Blake. You'll put it on speaker so that we can listen. You're going to try to get him to tell us where Jamie is."

 

"Okay." I grabbed my phone and dialed.

 

**_______________**

  
  


I felt Blake stiffen a split second before I heard the voice that would haunt me forever.

 

"So I guess the cats out of the bag. How did you find out? Those phone calls you've been making, that was her, wasn't it? When did you suspect?"

 

"After the first video," Blake answered.

 

I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my head in Blake's chest; I could feel myself trembling in fear.

 

"We're leaving," Blake answered confidently.

 

"Oh, really? Where exactly are you going?"

 

I felt tears fall before I could stop them. I looked up at Blake and saw a flash of fear in his eyes.

 

"This has gone too far; I'm taking Jamie to the hospital. No one will know you were involved; I'll tell them it was all me."

 

"You can leave, but he stays."

 

I let out a terrified sob. No, please, no. Would Blake leave me here?

 

" _ We _ are leaving. Get out of my way." Blake demanded. He shoved past Denis and walked toward the stairs. We barely made it two steps before his knees buckled, he tightened his grip when he nearly dropped me.

 

"I said he stays! I have no quarrel with you but, if you try to get in the way of my revenge you will regret it!" Denis yelled.

 

Blake looked me in the eye; he was scared. "Please don't leave me with him." I quietly pleaded. Remembering his threat had me on the verge of a panic attack. He gently set me down and stood to face Denis.

 

"I'm not going to let you hurt him." He said confidently.

 

"And I'm not going to let you take him," Denis said just before he pulled out the gun. Without warning, he pistol-whipped Blake, and I watched in horror as he crumpled to the ground. I stared at the limp body on the floor, willing it to move, to show any sign of life. Denis laughed and walked toward me, tucking the gun into the back of his pants, I tried desperately to crawl away, but it was useless. I couldn’t put any weight on my leg, and my ribs screamed in protest at my twisting movements. His hand shot out and grabbed my arm; I cried out when he yanked me toward him.

 

"We are going to have so much fun, Jamie," Denis exclaimed.

 

I was openly sobbing, too afraid to be embarrassed. "P-please don't hur-hurt me."

 

"I love it when they beg," Denis said quietly.

 

His grip on my arm tightened, and I screamed as he pulled me to the pillar. "No! Don't; please don't!" He pinned me to it and pulled out a rope. I struggled desperately, kicking, and thrashing as he tried to wrap it around my throat. I landed a kick to his hip, and he backhanded me. Taking advantage of my brief shock, he managed to get the rope around my neck. He was behind me before I could blink, and I felt the rope tighten, cutting off my oxygen. Forgetting my injured hand in my panicked state, I clawed at the line. After a few seconds, I was too weak to struggle, and my eyes fluttered closed, my hands falling to the ground. Just as the darkness threatened to swallow me, the pressure eased, and I took a greedy breath. I coughed and gasped, taking in much-needed oxygen. I brought my hands up to the rope and let out a sob as the pressure increased. It wasn't enough to cut off my air completely, but I was struggling for breath.

 

"Is it too tight, Jamie?" Denis asked mockingly.

 

I let out a strangled whimper in response, and the rope loosened just a fraction. My breath came a little easier, and the lightheaded feeling began to ebb. I felt Denis tie the rope off and he came and kneeled in front of me.

 

"Now, I need to address your attempted escape."

 

His hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. I whimpered as my broken fingers were jostled. I squeezed my eyes closed, knowing he was going to finish what he started.

 

"Remember, this is all your fault."

 

I screamed in agony as he broke my three remaining fingers in as many seconds. He dropped my hand into my lap. He laughed at my pain, watching as I choked on sobs, carefully cradling my mangled limb to my chest.

 

"You're pathetic. Your father should be ashamed of how weak you are."

 

I felt utterly helpless. I wished that I could see my family one last time. I wanted them to know how much I loved them — even Danny. I looked at Blake, hoping that he would wake up and save me. I flinched when Denis spoke.

 

"He can't help you, Jamie." He stated with a smirk. "Now I believe I promised some fun. What should we do first?" He pondered.

 

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on breathing. Everything hurt, my leg, my ribs, my face — worst of all, my hand. I wondered if there would be permanent damage. Not that it really mattered, Denis was planning on killing me. You don't need functioning hands when you're dead. My eyes snapped open when I felt a hand on my thigh.

 

"I don't like being ignored, Jamie." He growled before slapping me across the face. I gasped when the rope pulled against my throat. He grabbed my face in a bruising grip. "Are you paying attention now?"

 

"Yes," I whispered hoarsely. 

 

"Good. This next part is important. I'm going to go upstairs for a minute. If you try to escape, I'll break the rest of your fingers.” He looked at me expectantly.

 

"I won't try to escape," I whispered.

 

He nodded and left. I examined my hand; my fingers were bent at odd angles. I gagged and had to look away before I threw up. I looked at Blake and watched the small pool of blood slowly grow. I hoped that he was okay, He was part of the reason I was here, but I didn't want him to die. I willed him to wake, to get up and save me. I heard Denis moving around upstairs. I felt around the pillar for the knot in the rope; it was tight; there was no way I'd be able to loosen it. I wrapped my arm back around my ribs and tried to prepare myself for what was coming. I thought about my family; I was never going to see them again.  I wanted them to know how sorry I was for shutting them out after mom died. At least I'll get to see her again; I've missed her so much.

 

I heard the door open, and I watched Denis come down the stairs. He had a camera, he set it up and turned it on before looking at me. He's going to film this and send it to my family. I closed my eyes and let the tears fall; I didn't have the strength to hide my fear anymore. I hoped that something went wrong with the camera and he lost the video before he could send it.

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

"I know you didn't attack Sarah. Samuel told me everything. He is my brother, after all." He smiled at my confused look. "We have different fathers. His mom died a few years ago and, out of the goodness of his heart, my dad took him in. He tells me everything. When he told me about what happened yesterday, I couldn't believe my luck. Jamie Reagan, son of Francis Reagan. The man who murdered my father."

 

I was shocked. It was starting to make sense now; Denis wanted revenge. My shock was replaced with anger. "My dad never murdered anyone! The only people he's ever killed deserved it!" I rasped. All thoughts of self-preservation came rushing back as soon as the words crossed my lips. If looks could kill, I'd be dead ten times over.

 

Denis pulled out a knife and cut the rope. Before I could fully process what was happening, he had me pinned to the floor. He sat on top of my chest with his knee on my right arm. I screamed when the pressure made my hand flare with agony. He grabbed my face and brought the knife to my cheek. I tried to push him away with my free hand, but he seized it and pinned it to the ground with his knee. He moved the knife to my eye, and I held my breath.

 

"I would cut out your tongue but, I don't want you to bleed to death before I finish." He pulled the knife away, and I whimpered when he moved it to my arm. "I don't want to mess up your face too much. I wouldn't want them to have to use dental records to identify your body." He pressed the blade into my skin, and I screamed as he cut me down to my elbow.

 

"Please don't do this." I sobbed.

 

"Your father took something from me. I'm just returning the favor. An eye for an eye, as they say." He pulled the knife away and kissed me roughly. I screamed, and his tongue darted past my lips. I tried to turn my head, but his hold on my chin didn't budge. He pulled back panting. He snatched the rope off the floor and wrapped it around my wrist, eliciting a scream when he squeezed my damaged hand. He stood, and I tried to get up, to get away. He growled and pulled the rope hard, making me yelp and fall back to the floor. He dragged me to the pillar and wrapped the line behind it before securing my other wrist.

 

"Now, we can begin."

 

He reached for my pants and started trying to take them off. "NO! DON'T TOUCH ME!" I yelled as I tried to kick him away. He straddled my leg and continued, successfully undoing my jeans. He stood and yanked them down. I screamed as he dropped my legs, not caring about the pain it caused. "Please stop," I begged. 

 

He straddled my chest and stroked my face. "Just relax Jamie. It will hurt less if you do."

 

"No, pl-please. St-stop."

 

He just smiled and kissed me again. I gagged and tried not to throw up. He pulled back and cut my shirt off, throwing it to the side. He dug the knife into my chest, and I screamed once again.

 

"STOP! PLEASE ST-STOP!" He ignored me and brought the knife down again. "BLAKE! Please wake up! Please help me." I gasped through gritted teeth.

 

Denis smiled and leaned down to whisper in my ear, but before he could get any words out, he was suddenly tackled.

 

_______________

  
  


Blake woke to the sound of screaming. His head was pounding, and he struggled to remember what happened. He was startled when someone yelled his name.

 

"BLAKE! Please wake up! Please help me."

 

_ Jamie! Oh, God, Denis! _ Blake looked over and saw Denis sitting on top of Jamie. He had a knife in his hand that was covered in blood. A surge of adrenaline coursed through his veins and without a thought for his own safety, he tackled Denis. They tumbled off Jamie and fell to the floor. The knife flew across the room, coming to a stop near the camera. Denis, momentarily stunned, didn't see the fist until it smashed into his eye. He let out a pained grunt and tried to buck Blake off his chest. The irony was not lost on Denis, just seconds ago he was in a similar position, only with Jamie under his control. Blake punched him again, and he laughed. Blake, startled by the reaction, froze in disgust.

 

"It feels good, doesn't it? The control, the power. To know that you could do pretty much anything and I wouldn't be able to stop you." He laughed again, a deep throaty laugh that made Blake shiver.

 

_ He's right. It does feel good to be so in control. I feel… Powerful? Confident? Strong? But… Denis is… Crazy? He's done terrible things, and he deserves to be punished- Oh my God. _ As soon as the thought struck him, he felt sick. He turned and looked at Jamie. His small helpless form, trembling on the floor. His wrists tied above his head, bruised and bloody. His face, covered in bruises, blood, sweat, and tears, was pinched with pain and fear.  _ I thought the same thing when Denis told me Jamie had hurt my sister. I'm a monster. _

 

He looked back to Denis. Blake wanted to beat the knowing smile from his face. He sat there, frozen, trapped in his thoughts. He didn't see the gun until it was almost too late. He saw a flash of silver and instinctively ducked. Denis growled when he missed his target and bucked under Blake finally managing to throw him off. He tried to stand but was pinned down again. Blake grabbed the hand holding the gun and slammed it into the ground twice before it clattered away.

 

"I'm going to kill you!" Blake yelled as he hit Denis over and over. He was brought out of his rage when he heard quiet whimpers. Realizing the Denis was unconscious, he looked at Jamie. He was struggling against his bonds, desperately trying to get free. Blake got up and rushed over to help.

 

"Hey Jamie, it's okay." He said softly.

 

Jamie flinched and struggled harder.

 

"Hey, it's okay. I'm not going to hurt you. It's Blake. I won't hurt you, I promise."

 

Jamie Stopped struggling and looked over. "Blake?" He asked, hoarsely.

 

"Yeah. It's Blake. Can I untie your wrists?"

 

Jamie nodded, and Blake brought out his pocket knife. He jumped when Jamie screamed and tried to move as far away from him as possible. Blake, realizing what triggered the reaction, dropped the knife.

 

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you. It's okay; I'm not going to hurt you." He held his hands up to emphasize his point. He waited for Jamie to calm down and slowly reached for his wrists. He lay perfectly still, his breath coming in ragged gasps. Once both wrists were free, Blake sat back, giving the terrified boy some space.

 

"Can we please leave?" He whispered timidly.

 

"Yes, of course. Can I pick you up?" 

 

Jamie thought for a moment before answering. "Yes."

 

Blake nodded and slowly, carefully lifted Jamie into his arms, apologizing when he disturbed his injuries. He stood and carried Jamie out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next update will be on Monday!


	9. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know much about medical procedures, so I apologize for any mistakes.
> 
> Sorry, this is a little later than usual, I was at work for 12 hours, and I forgot to post this chapter before I left this morning.

Denis woke to the sound of a ringing phone. He groaned and rolled to his side, spitting blood. He carefully prodded his face and hissed. _Blake broke my nose._ The man looked around the empty room and cursed when he heard the car drive away. He noticed that the camera was still filming and stood on shaky legs to shut it off. He took the camera, picked the phone up off the floor, and went upstairs.

 

Denis sat the camera down and looked at the phone. _Blake must have dropped it when he tackled me._ Denis looked at the notifications: 2 missed calls from Sarah. _You will pay for delaying my plans, Blake. First, I’ll finish what I started with Jamie. That way, you know what to expect when I go after your sister._ Denis smiled, grabbed the laptop, camera, and phone, and walked out the door.

 

_______________

 

Blake gently placed me in the car and examined my injuries.

 

“Where does it hurt?” He asked.

 

“Everywhere,” I whispered.

 

“What hurts the worst? Your hand?”

 

I nodded. It definitely hurt the worst. “My throat and leg hurt too,” I added. It hurt to talk, to swallow, to breathe. I cataloged my injuries. “And my chest and arm.”

 

“Is it hard to breathe?” He asked, his voice full of concern.

 

I shook my head. “It just hurts.”

 

He nodded and examined the cuts on my chest and arm. “These cuts don’t look too deep. You’ll probably need stitches, though.” He said as he took off his jacket. He laid it over my chest and buckled the seatbelt. He shut the door and walked around the car, slid into the driver seat, and started the car. He stared out the window before looking at me with tear filled eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jamie. I shouldn’t have believed him. If I had calmed down before acting, this never would have happened.”

 

I wasn’t sure what to say. Could I forgive him? No, at least not yet. It was still too fresh. I nodded and closed my eyes, settling into the seat. He was quiet for a minute, and I could feel his eyes on me. Eventually, I felt the car move, and I slowly drifted off.

 

_______________

 

“Jamie, wake up.”

 

Someone was shaking me, and I really wanted them to stop.

 

“Jamie, wake up. Come on, kid, you’re starting to worry me, just wake up.”

 

I groaned as the shaking started again. Just leave me alone.

 

“That’s it, Jamie, wake up. Come on, just open your eyes.”

 

What’s going on? Why do I hurt so much?  Why am I so cold? God, I felt like crap. The shaking started again, and I groaned in pain as my hand throbbed.

 

“Jamie?”

 

I felt a hand on my face, and I flinched. “No…”

 

“It’s okay Jamie. It’s Blake.”

 

“Blake?” I mumbled.

 

“Yeah, kid. How are you doing?”

 

“I don’t feel good,” I whispered.

 

“I know, kid. Just hold on, we’re almost there.”

 

I felt the car slow to a stop. “I’ll be back in just a minute,” Blake said before I heard his door shut. I was just drifting to sleep when my door was suddenly opened.

 

I groaned when someone yelled. “Where’s that stretcher?!” It made my head throb. I started to panic when I felt hands on me. I tried to fight them off, but I was too weak. “No...don't. Please.” I whimpered. People were talking over each other, and I was laid on something soft. The hands were everywhere, and I tried to lift my arms to push them off. I cried out when agony shot through my hand. Then I was moving, people were yelling, and it made my head hurt worse. I felt like I couldn’t breathe; it felt like someone was sitting on my chest, preventing me from taking a full breath. There was a prick in my arm, and the world fell away.

 

_______________

 

When Blake finally figured out where the nearest hospital was, he drove as fast as he could. They came to a red light just a couple blocks away, and he looked over at Jamie, noticing how pale he was. “Jamie, wake up.” He gently shook his shoulder. Nothing. “Jamie, wake up. Come on, kid, you’re starting to worry me, just wake up.” Blake shook him again, a little harder this time, and he heard a groan. “That’s it, Jamie, wake up. Come on, just open your eyes.” The shaking continued, and he groaned again, this time, it was full of pain. “Jamie?” He reached up to his forehead to check for a fever. Jamie flinched when the hand made contact.

 

“No…” He whimpered.

 

“It’s okay Jamie. It’s Blake.”

 

“Blake?”

 

“Yeah, kid. How are you doing?”

 

“I don’t feel good.” He whispered.

 

“I know, kid. Just hold on, we’re almost there.” He pulled into the ER entrance and looked at Jamie. “I’ll be back in just a minute,” Blake quickly got out of the car and ran inside. He cut to the front of the line, and several people yelled at him. Blake ignored them, only focusing on the possibly dying child in his car. “I need help.”

 

“You’ll have to wait in line, sir.” A board looking nurse said.

 

“No, it’s not for me. I have a kid in my car; he’s hurt pretty badly. I’m scared to move him.”

 

She looked at me and saw that I was serious. She yelled at someone to get a stretcher and followed me to the car. Several people protested, but no one paid them any attention. We got to the car, and when she opened the door and saw Jamie, she momentarily froze. “Where’s the stretcher?!” She yelled. Another nurse ran over, and they loaded him onto the waiting stretcher.

 

Jamie tried to fight them off but was too weak to do any real damage. “No...don't. Please.” He struggled weakly for a few seconds before crying out in pain. As soon as he was wheeled into the lobby, everyone stared, seeming to forget that they were also waiting for medical assistance. Jamie was pushed through a set of doors, and Blake was stopped by a nurse when he tried to follow.

 

“You can’t go back there. I need you to fill out some paperwork for your son while you wait.”

 

“He’s not my son.” He stated.

 

“Can you tell me how you know him?”

 

“I…” Blake closed his eyes and prepared himself for what was to come. “I kidnapped him.” He answered, looking straight into her eyes.

 

He watched as confusion turned to horror. The nurse backed away and started yelling. “I need security in here now!” Within seconds there was a man in a security uniform. He looked between Blake and the nurse. “He said he kidnapped that boy.” She told him. He immediately put his hand on the taser in his belt, and Blake put his hand up.

 

“I’m not going to cause any trouble. I’ll come quietly.”

 

“Turn around and put your hands on your head.” He demanded.

 

Blake obeyed and tried not to flinch when the cold metal bit into his wrists. “His name is Jamie Reagan,” Blake told the nurse. _I just hope I wasn’t too late._ He thought as he was lead away.

 

_______________

 

Sarah had called Blake twice with no answer. It was decided that she should leave a message and hope that he called back. Detective Phillips offered to take her to the station to file a report for her assault. She reluctantly agreed, and as they left, she apologized profusely for what had happened. We did our best to reassure her that it wasn’t her fault.

 

Then I got the call, the call that we had all been praying for. Jamie had been found; he was alive. We piled into two cars and drove as fast as possible. The nurse had told us that Jamie needed surgery. She wouldn’t go into detail, and finally pop pulled me away from the flustered nurse. Now we were waiting.

 

After the first hour, Joe and Erin went on a coffee run, after four hours, pop went for food. When six hours had passed, everyone was anxious to know about Jamie’s condition. Why did he need surgery? Was it for his broken leg? If so, why was it taking so long? Finally, after seven long hours, the doctor came through the door. I stood and walked over to her.

 

“You must be the Reagan’s.” She stated.

 

“Yes, I’m Frank, Jamie’s father,” I answered.

 

“I’m Dr. Hanson. I was one of the surgeons that helped operate on your son. First, let me say that the surgery went well.”

 

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

 

“So he’s going to be okay?” Erin asked tearfully.

 

“He isn’t out of the woods yet, but He’s young and strong.”

 

I was afraid to ask, but I needed to know. “How bad is it?”

 

“Why don’t we sit down.”

 

Everyone quickly found a seat, eagerly awaiting news of Jamie’s injuries.

 

“I’m not going to sugar coat it. He’s in bad shape. The injury I’m most worried about is his right hand. That was the main reason for the surgery, all four fingers and his thumb were broken, and we needed to make sure there wouldn’t be any lasting damage. We also had to put two pins in his leg, his fibula was fractured, but additional trauma caused it to break. We put the pins in to speed up the healing process. The cast will need to stay on for at least four weeks. He will be able to put some pressure on it, but a crutch is recommended until the cast comes off.

 

“Oh my God,” Erin whispered.

 

“Do you think there will be lasting damage?” I asked.

 

“I’m confident that with proper rest and rehab, he should regain full operation of his hand. Once his leg heals, it will be as though it was never broken.” She answered.

 

We had barely started, and I already wanted to throw up. I looked around and saw shock, fear, and barely contained rage in everyone’s eyes. I gave Dr. Hanson a nod, and she continued.

 

“The other injury that we are concerned about is the bruising around his throat. It appears that someone tried to strangle him.”

 

She paused when Erin burst into tears, I wrapped my arms around her and felt my own face dampen with tears. She watched us, her eyes filled with sorrow.

 

“We haven’t needed to intubate him, but we're keeping a close eye on his vitals. It’s still a possibility but, so far, he is doing well without assistance. He also has a minor concussion but, considering the bruising on his face, he’s fortunate. I could have been a lot worse. He has a large cut down his arm. It did require stitches, but there should be minimal scarring. There are also three cuts on his chest that needed stitching. His ribs are bruised and will be painful for a couple of weeks, and his wrists are bruised and raw from being restrained. He has several bruises on his back and torso, but they should clear up in about a week or so.”

 

By the time she had stopped, I had closed my eyes; I was glad it was over.

 

“There’s something else isn’t there?” Danny asked. I opened my eyes and exchanged a glance with Danny.

 

She looked around before meeting my eyes. “Yes, there is. When Jamie was brought in, he was only wearing boxers.”

 

“Please tell me h-he wasn’t…” Joe stuttered.

 

“We didn’t want to do a rape kit without a parent’s permission, so unless you give us permission, the only way to know is to ask him.”

 

Pop pulled Joe into his arms as he sobbed in despair.

 

“I’d like to talk to him about it. I don’t want to have to put him through that procedure.”

 

“Of course.” She nodded in agreement.

 

“Who brought him in?” I asked.

 

“A man who claims to be his kidnapper.”

 

Pop and I shared a look. “Blake.” We said at the same time.

 

“I’m going to kill him!” Danny yelled as he stood and started pacing.

 

“Can we see him?” I asked.

 

“Of course. Jamie is in the ICU, so only two people at a time.” Danny and I followed Dr. Hanson. I prayed that Jamie would be okay.

 

_______________

 

When we walked into Jamie’s room, I felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me. He looked so small and fragile. His face and exposed arms were covered in bruises. He had an IV in the back of his left hand. His right was heavily bandaged and propped up on pillows.

 

“We have him sedated so that he won’t wake for a few hours. We didn’t want him to wake up in a strange place surrounded by people he didn’t know.”

 

“Thank you, Dr.”

 

She nodded and left.

 

Danny pulled a chair up to the right side of the bed, and I sat down on the left. I reached out and took his hand. “I’m here now, son. Everything’s going to be okay.”

 

_______________

 

I felt like someone had stuffed my head with cotton. I had a hard time stringing a thought together. I knew there was something important that I needed to remember but- What’s that noise? It sounds like beeping. Man, my hand hurts. Where am I? It smells funny. Wait… Am I in a hospital? Yeah, hospital seems right. My throat hurts. Why am I here? My hand hurts. Something's tickling my nose. I tried to reach up to find out what it was, but someone was holding my hand. Wait… What’s going on? Oh yeah, hospital. Why is it so hard to concentrate? With great difficulty, I pried my eyes open. I looked to my left and saw dad asleep, his hand on top of mine. I smiled. I glanced to my right and saw Danny asleep on my leg. Now that I thought about it, my leg was kind of numb, but I didn’t care. My dad was here, and I was safe. That’s all that mattered. I smiled and drifted off to sleep, knowing that everything was going to be okay.


	10. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was skimming through the end of this fic when I realized that I didn't have a chapter ten. So that's why I changed the chapter total to 16.
> 
> Not much happens in this chapter, but I thought it was necessary. There is a little bit of comfort in the beginning, so yay! There is a lot more fluff coming!
> 
> There is a brief talk about rape, but it's not detailed.

We had decided that Danny and I would stay overnight with Jamie. Once everyone had been in to see him, it was well after midnight. Jamie hadn’t even been gone for ten hours, but it had felt like a lifetime. I finally convinced everyone but Danny to go home and get some much-needed rest. I was stiff from sleeping in a chair, but I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to leave Jamie for the comfort of a bed.

 

I woke early the next morning when I heard the door shut, and opened my eyes to Danny offering coffee.

 

“Thanks Danny. Did you get much sleep?”

 

“No. I’m too worried about Jamie. I want him to wake up so that I know he’s okay.”

 

“I know how you feel.”

 

We sat in silence for a few minutes while we drank coffee before the door opened again, and Dr. Hanson walked in.

 

“I brought some muffins. I figured you wouldn’t have had anything to eat yet.”

 

“Thank you, Dr. Hanson. You're here early.”

 

“Actually I’m just getting off. I hope you don’t mind, but I made sure that Dr. Sherman was Jamie’s doctor today. I figured that, under the circumstances, he would be more comfortable with a female doctor.”

 

“Thank you so much. We really appreciate it.” I told her.

 

“Okay, well, do you need anything else before I go?”

 

“How long will he have to stay in the hospital?” Danny asked.

 

“We will have to wait for him to wake up to have a better timeline, but we could probably move him out of the ICU tomorrow. After that, it will probably be a few days before he can go home.”

 

“Okay doc, thanks for everything,” Danny replied.

 

She nodded and left. Danny and I each took a muffin and waited for Jamie to wake up.

 

_______________

  
  


I heard beeping and whispers. Where am I? The voices sound familiar. Man, that beeping noise is really annoying.

 

“When do you think he’ll wake up?”

 

Danny? Wait, I remember. I’m in the hospital. 

 

“I don’t know Danny. Soon I hope. I just want to know That he is okay.”

 

Dad? I tried to pry my eyes open. I wanted to see them. I missed them more than I ever thought I could. I managed to open one eye entirely and one eye halfway. I looked around and found Danny. His face lit up when he saw me.

 

“Hey, kiddo, it’s so good to see you.” He said softly.

 

I felt a hand on my face and flinched, afraid I was still with Denis and that I was just hallucinating.

 

“It’s okay, Jamie; it’s dad. You’re safe now.”

 

I turned my head and looked at my father. “Dad?” I said hoarsely; it hurt to talk. Seeing him again when I thought I never would, brought tears to my eyes.

 

“Yeah, I’m here. You’re safe now.”

 

I reached up with my left hand to find his and squeezed gently. I wanted to tell him how much I missed him, but my throat hurt. I tried swallowing and winced, Danny noticed and held a cup with a straw to my lips, and I took a couple of small sips.

 

"Better?"

 

I nodded, and he put the cup down on the table. I heard sniffling and looked over to see dad trying not to cry.

 

“I missed you. More than you could possibly know.” He said tearfully.

 

I looked over at Danny. He was silently crying, but he smiled at me. “We thought we lost you.” He said shakily.

 

I nodded, and with a sob, the tears finally fell.

 

“Oh, Jamie,” Dad said sadly.

 

He pulled me to his chest and held me as I cried. My left hand held his shirt tightly. I felt Danny put his arms around us, and I relaxed into the embrace.

 

_______________

  
  


Jamie fell asleep in our arms. I laid him down, grabbed his hand, and looked at Danny. He had his hand on Jamie’s arm; his eyes were full of sadness and fear.

 

“It’s going to be okay, Danny,” I reassured him.

 

“I know physically he should be okay but… What about mentally? He’s going to have PTSD, I mean they tortured him, dad. He… What if-if...what if he ra...raped my baby brother. What if he never recovers from that?” He whispered.

 

I closed my eyes and prayed to God that the monster that had tortured Jamie hadn’t hurt my son like that. “No matter what happens, he needs to know that his family is here for him. We are going to get through this together.”

 

“Yeah. I’m just… I’m scared that he‘s going to be different. I mean, I know he’ll be different, but how much?”

 

“I don’t know Danny,” I whispered. I looked down at my son. How could anyone ever think that my sweet, selfless, kind, caring son could ever hurt someone? “I think there’s more to this than a case of mistaken identity.”

 

Danny glanced at me, a look of surprise crossed his face. “Really? I thought it was just me. Why did they think it was Jamie? Sarah never told anyone about what happened. It had to be the kids that attacked her but…” Danny trailed off, lost in thought.

 

“Why would they blame Jamie? And who did they tell? I think we need to talk to the detectives. I have a bad feeling.” I finished for him. I pulled my hand from Jamie’s to grab my phone but froze when he whimpered. His brow furrowed, and his hand felt around blindly for mine.

 

“Dad?” He asked sleepily. His voice was raw and painful sounding.

 

I quickly reached for his hand. “I’m right here, Jamie. It’s okay; you’re safe.”

 

He cracked his eyes open and looked around before they fell on mine. “Stay.”

 

“I’m not going anywhere.” I looked at Danny silently asking him to call the detectives. He nodded in understanding and gently squeezed Jamie’s arm. He rolled his head over and found Danny.

 

“I’ll be right back okay, Jamie? I just have to make a call.”

 

Jamie smiled and nodded.

 

Danny turned, opened the door, and walked out to make the call.

 

_______________

  
  


Blake had been handed over to the police twenty minutes after his confession to the nurse. They stitched the head wound he didn’t realize he had. He was read his rights, driven to the station, processed and dumped in an interrogation room. That’s where he sat waiting almost an hour later when the door finally opened. Two men walked in and sat across from him.

 

“I’m detective Cale, and this is my partner detective Phillips. We know that you kidnapped Jamie Reagan, you confessed as much at the hospital. We need to know about your accomplice.”

 

“How do you know there was someone else?” Blake asked.

 

“We talked to your sister Sarah. She told us about the voicemails and the phone conversation that you had. We pulled the phone records.” Detective Phillips pulled out a file and handed it to his partner. “Your exact words were ‘It’s not just me. This other guy is crazy.’” Both detectives looked at Blake, making him feel uncomfortable.

 

“Look, your right I wasn’t alone but… He is crazy, and before I tell you anything, I need you to do something for me.”

 

“Usually, you give us the information before we meet your demands.” Detective Phillips barked.

 

Blake was a little worried about the look in his eyes and wished he wasn’t cuffed to the table.  _ This is how Jamie felt. God, please let them help Sarah _ . “I know, but he isn’t the kind of guy to forgive and forget. He knows about my sister. I think he knows who...raped her. He’s the one who told me it was Jamie. I’m just scared he’ll try to hurt her to get back at me.” He said quickly.

 

Both detectives exchanged a look, and their anger lessened little. “Sarah is here at the station. We’ll keep her safe until we have the guy in custody. Now we need your help to keep her safe. Tell us everything you know. Start with a name and location.” Detective Cale said.

 

“Can I see her?”

 

“Information first.” Detective Phillips demanded.

 

“Okay, yeah. His first name is Denis. I don’t know his last name. I knocked him out before I took Jamie to the hospital, but I doubt he’s still there. There’s an abandoned house about an hour outside of the city.” Blake gave the directions, and detective Phillips stepped out for a minute before coming back in.

 

“How did you meet him?” Detective Cale asked.

 

“I met him at Sarah’s school on Friday. I think I’ve seen him around before. He has a younger brother. I was there to pick up Sarah, and I heard some kids talking about some girl that, well I'm not going to repeat it, but I was more than a little surprised at some of the things they were saying. I noticed they were passing a phone around, so I grabbed it out of the kid's hand and saw the pictures. I flipped through a couple, and then I realized they were of Sarah.” Blake was in tears and was having a hard time talking. After a few minutes, he had calmed down enough to continue. “I couldn’t believe someone had done that to my sister. She had been off all week. I kept asking what was wrong, but she would just brush me off and pretend that everything was fine. God, I’m such an idiot!” He was trying not to hyperventilate. He was having a hard time controlling his emotions.

 

“I know this is hard Blake. What happened to your sister is horrible, but if what you're saying is true, then this Denis guy might know who did hurt her.” Detective Cale said.

 

“I decked one kid before someone grabbed me from behind; it was Denis. I tried to fight him off, but the kids ran, and there was no point, so I stopped, and he let me go. He must have seen the pictures because he asked if I knew her. I told him she’s my sister. He said his brother might know something and that he could ask him if he knows who did it. I gave him my number and found Sarah. I was going to ask her about it but I couldn’t. God, if I knew what was going to happen, I would have taken an uncomfortable conversation over the word of some stranger.”

 

“What happened after he contacted you?” Detective Cale asked.

 

“He gave me an address, turns out it was Jamie’s; I took a cab and met him there. He told me the kid that attacked my sister lived there, and he was going to help me teach him a lesson. I was so mad; if I had waited a few days or if I had never met Denis, Jamie would have been fine. How is he, by the way?”

 

“Last I heard he was in surgery. You were stupid enough to believe some stranger, and now an innocent kid could lose his hand.” Detective Phillips spat.

 

_ He might lose his hand? What did Denis do? _

 

“Do you know who his brother is?” Detective Cale asked.

 

“No. I never saw him.”

 

“Okay. Thank you for your cooperation, Blake. We’ll make sure your sister is put in protective custody.”

 

“Thank you.”


	11. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for graphic violence and sexual assault. There is also a brief talk about rape, but it's not detailed.

I woke to quiet voices. I fought to open my eyes and saw dad and Danny sitting in chairs on either side of my bed.

 

“Hi, kiddo, How are you feeling?” Dad asked. He put his hand on my cheek, and I smiled, leaning into the gentle touch.

“Tired,” I whispered, it still hurt to talk.

“Are you in pain?” He asked.

I nodded and brought my good hand to my throat.

“Okay. Danny?” 

I looked over and watched Danny smile and walk out the door.

“Thirsty?”

I nodded again.

Dad reached over and grabbed a cup with a straw. He held it out, and I took it with my left hand before taking a few sips. I handed it back, and he placed it on the table. I looked over when the door opened and watched as a nurse followed Danny in.

“Hello, sweetheart. I hear your throat is hurting.” She said softly.

I nodded, and she smiled. “How are you otherwise? Does anything else hurt?”

I thought for a minute, trying to concentrate on my injuries. I nodded and pointed to my hand.

“Okay, let’s just get you something and then I’ll get out of your hair.” She said with a smile. She washed her hands, grabbed some gloves, and pulled a syringe out of her pocket. She pulled the cap off and injected it into the IV in the back of my hand. “There you go. You should be able to feel it in a few minutes. If you need anything else, just press the call button.”

“Thank you,” Dad said. She smiled and left.

I looked at dad. “Where’s everyone?” My voice was raw and raspy.

“I sent him home. Everyone is going to come and see you tomorrow when you are moved out of the ICU.” Dad answered.

I nodded through a yawn; my eyes were getting heavy again. I didn't want to sleep; I was afraid of what I would see when I closed my eyes.

“Get some sleep,” Danny said.

I nodded, but I didn't close my eyes. I couldn't remember dreaming since I've been in the hospital. Was it because of the drugs?

"We'll be right here, Jamie," Dad said softly.

I looked over, and he smiled. I smiled back and reluctantly closed my eyes.

_______________

****  
  


Jamie slept through the day and night, only occasionally waking. Each time he did, he would search us out. We would reassure him that he was safe before he would slip off to sleep again. I knew that I was going to have to ask him if he had been...raped, but I wanted to wait until he could stay awake for more than five minutes. Finally, the next morning came, and he was moved out of the ICU. As soon as he was situated, Danny stepped out to call everyone. They were anxious to see Jamie. A few minutes later, he was brought a breakfast of oatmeal. I smiled as he wrinkled his nose when he discovered it was plain. Besides the initial reaction, he ate without complaint. It saddened me to see him scarf it down like he was starving. I wondered when the last time he ate was. The morning he was taken? Maybe lunch that day? I was pulled from my thoughts when the door opened. Danny walked in and stood at the foot of Jamie’s bed.

“Hey, kid. How are you doing?” Danny asked.

“Better.” His voice still sounded raw, but it had improved.

“You should get some sleep, Jamie,” I told him. I watched his face fall with disappointment. 

“What is it, son?” I asked.

He looked into my eyes. “I don’t want to miss anyone.” He whispered.

Before I could assure him that everyone would be here when he woke, the door opened again.

“Jamie!” Erin practically screamed. She moved quickly to his bedside, just barely stopping herself from hugging him. “Can I give you a hug?” She asked hesitantly.

He nodded.

She pulled him into a gentle hug before pulling away and looking him in the eye. “I missed you baby brother.”

He smiled. “M’not a baby.” He mumbled.

Erin smiled back. “You’ll always be my baby brother.” She said jokingly.

“Oh, Jamie, it’s so good to see you.” Pop said. We had been so focused on Erin that we hadn’t heard him and Joe come in. He hugged pop and turned to Joe.

“Hi, Joe.” Joe walked over and all but tackled him. “Ow.” He whispered.

Joe backed off but didn’t let go. “Sorry little man.”

Jamie looked around the room at everyone before looking down at his lap. Everyone was quiet until tears fell from his eyes. Joe pulled him to his chest and ran a hand through his hair. “It’s going to be okay, Jamie. We got you. We’ll get through this together.” He reassured him. Jamie nodded and pulled back, trying to wipe the tears from his face. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain. I wished that I could just take it all away.

“I know I just,” He cleared his throat, and I handed him a cup of water. He took a drink and continued. “I didn’t think I was ever going to see you guys again. I thought he was going to k-kill me.” He sobbed before Joe pulled him into another hug. He whispered something that no one but Jamie could hear. They rocked slowly, and Jamie slowly quieted until he was asleep. Joe gently laid him back down to the bed and carefully lowered it so that it was more comfortable. He stood and whipped his eyes.

Everyone was in tears. We all watched Jamie sleep; he looked so peaceful. He wasn't afraid or scared, and I hoped the nightmares stayed away.

_______________

****  
  


_ I was trapped in the basement. My hands were tied above my head, and Denis was on top of me. I whimpered in pain as he slowly brought the knife down and cut me again. I had lost count of the injuries he had inflicted. All I could do was cry and beg and tremble in fear. _

_ “I’m going to kill you, Jamie. Slowly. But first, I’m going to have some fun!” _

_ “Pl-please, do-don’t.” _

_ He laughed and threw the knife across the room. He pulled his shirt off and discarded it. _

_ “NO! Don’t! Pl-please don’t!” I looked over at Blake’s body and saw the coldness of his dead, empty eyes. _

_ Denis grabbed my chin and forced me to look him in the eyes. “He can’t help you this time, Jamie. I’m going to do whatever I want, and there is no one here to stop me.” He said sweetly before kissing me roughly. I gagged and tried to turn my head. He pulled away and backhanded me, and I yelped in surprise and pain. _

_ “Please, d-don’t do this.” _

_ He laughed again before reaching for his belt. _

_ I started panicking and tried to buck him off. “NO! Get off me! Please don’t! Stop, please stop!”  _

_ “Jamie, wake up!” _

_ Dad? _

_ Denis pulled his belt from his pants and kissed me again. I screamed in protest. _

_ “Jamie, wake up! It’s just a dream! Please, Jamie! Open your eyes!” _

_ Denis pulled back and stood. He flipped me onto my stomach, and I lost it. “NO! DAD, PLEASE HELP ME. GET OFF ME! DAD, PLEASE!” I felt him on top of me, and I tried to kick him away. He grabbed my hair and slammed my head into the floor. I screamed before everything went dark. _

I jolted awake and felt hands holding me down. “No, please! Please don’t! Please stop!”

“Jamie! Stop! It’s okay; you’re safe! you're okay.”

I stopped thrashing when I heard dad’s voice. “Dad?” I whimpered and looked around frantically until I found him and instantly relaxed.

“I’m here; you’re safe. You just had a bad dream.”

The hands went away, and I reached out for him. He pulled me into a hug and whispered in my ear.  As long as dad was here, no one was going to hurt me. I didn't know how long we sat like that, but I felt safe, and the drugs made me sleepy, so, eventually, I drifted off.

_______________

****  
  


I felt pressure on my leg and panicked a little. I opened my eyes and looked down, instantly relaxing when I saw dad asleep on my leg. I felt more coherent then I had been in a while. I was still tired, but I felt like a fog had lifted from my mind. Was it the drugs? I didn’t know, but I was glad I was feeling more like myself. I shifted and tried to get comfortable, but with dad on my leg, I couldn’t. I didn’t want to wake him, but I couldn’t feel my foot. I reached down and shook his arm lightly. “Dad?” He jolted awake, and I flinched back.

He looked around in surprise before his eyes landed on me. “Hey, kiddo.”

“Hi,” It didn’t hurt so much to talk anymore. It kind of just felt like a sore throat.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better. Did they have me on a sedative?”

“Yeah, They didn’t want you moving around too much. Are you feeling okay? Any pain?”

“A little but I’m okay.”

“Okay, good. Do you need anything?”

I shook my head.

“The detectives want to talk to you when you feel up to it.”

I looked away. I didn’t want to relive what happened. I especially didn’t want to tell it to a couple of strangers. “My throat still hurts. I don’t think I can talk for long.”

“I can tell them to wait awhile. At least until you feel better.”

I looked back up and gave him a small smile. “Thanks. Where is everyone?”

“They went to get some real food. The cafeteria food is awful.”

“You don’t have to stay. You can go home and get some rest.”

“I’m not going anywhere. Besides, the doctor said you could come home as early as tomorrow.”

“Really? That soon?” I couldn’t wait to get home. At the same time, I was afraid. Everything had started there, what if it made the nightmares worse?

“If you don’t feel up to it, you can stay.”

“No, I...I want to go home.”

He nodded and was quiet for a minute. “So you had a pretty bad nightmare. You want to talk about it?”

I shook my head. “Not really.”

“It might help.”

“Not here. Maybe when we get home.” He looked away and nodded before he found my eyes again. I could see fear and sadness and wondered if something was wrong. “Is everything okay?”

“I need to ask you something, and I need you to tell me the truth.”

“Ok-okay,” I whispered. I knew what he was about to ask, but I still dreaded it.

“That man, Denis, did he...rape you?” He asked, hesitantly.

“No, he uh... he-he tried to but Blake st-stopped him.” I felt tears roll down my cheeks, and I squeezed my eyes shut.

“Okay,” He said before pulling me in for a hug. I wrapped my left arm around him and buried my face in his shoulder. We cried together for a while before I felt the ever-present exhaustion pull me under.

_______________

****  
  


Jamie slept peacefully for a few hours before waking in time for dinner. I watched as he scanned the room before relaxing and focusing on me. It broke my heart to see him so alert even when he was safe.

“Hey, dad.”

“Hi, son. How are you doing?”

An annoyed expression crossed his face. “I wish everyone would stop asking me that.” He answered.

“I’m sorry. Everyone is just worried about you.”

His face softened, and he looked at his lap. “I know it’s just… I don’t know what people want to hear.”

“We want the truth, Jamie. We can’t help you if you don’t let us know what you need.”

I watched as tears gathered in his eyes, feeling my own eyes well. I reached over and took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. He looked up, and his tear-streaked face broke my heart. I knew he was in pain, physically and mentally, but I needed him to talk to me.

“I’m not okay. I don’t know if I ever will be.” He whispered.

I couldn’t fight the tears anymore, and they slid down my face. “That’s okay Jamie. You don’t have to be okay, but I want to help you get better. Maybe not like you were before, but I promise that I will help you with anything you need.”

“What happened to De...Denis?” He whispered.

I wanted to tell him that the monster that hurt him was behind bars, that he could never hurt him again. I couldn’t lie to him, though. “The police are looking for him.”

He closed his eyes and sighed. “I want to talk to the detectives.”

“Are you sure? We can wait if you want.”

He looked me in the eyes. “I might know something that no one else does; it could help them find him.” He said sincerely.

“Okay, if that’s what you want, I can call them right now.”

He looked away and nodded.

 

“Okay. I’ll call them.” I stood and walked into the hallway. I told detective Cale that Jamie was ready to talk and went back into the room. “They’ll be here in twenty minutes.”


	12. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jamie talks to the detectives, so a lot of what happened to him is brought up. Jamie also talks about his nightmare.
> 
> There is some fluff in this chapter!

I woke to the door opening; I tensed in fear when two men walked in. I looked around frantically, and my eyes landed on dad’s worried face. I relaxed as I remembered him calling the detectives.

 

One of the men was about 6’ tall, with brown hair, brown eyes, and a kind smile. The second was a few inches shorter with brown hair, green eyes and, what looked like, a permanent scowl. The second man made me nervous, but if dad trusted them, then they couldn't be that bad, right?

 

The first man walked over to my father and shook his hand before turning to me. “Hello Jamie, I’m detective Cale, and this is my partner detective Phillips. We are going to ask you a few questions if that’s okay.”

 

“Can my dad stay?” I asked.

 

“Of course. Whatever makes you comfortable.”

 

I nodded and looked between them. I decided that detective Cale seemed okay enough, but my eyes lingered on detective Phillips, was he upset about the case, or was he just angry at the world? Judging by the frown lines on his face, he didn't smile much.

 

Detective Cale pulled out a recorder and started explaining what was going to happen. “I’m going to record this, okay?”

 

I nodded again and, looked over at dad. He gave me a reassuring nod, and I looked at my lap as I tried to prepare myself. I took a deep breath and looked at the detective. “Do you want me to start with the break-in?”

 

They looked at each other before detective Cale answered. “We were actually hoping you could tell us about what happened at school on Friday.”

 

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

 

"Sarah told us after she heard you were missing. One of the men that took you is her brother, Blake Kennedy."

 

What? Sarah is Blake's sister? "How did Sarah know it was Blake?"

 

"He told her." Detective Cale stated.

 

"That...that makes sense. At first, he seemed really mad but... After De...after they made the first video, he appeared confused maybe? After that, he was just indifferent. Then after the second video, he came downstairs, and I could tell he was scared." I looked up and met dad's eyes. "She saved my life, didn't she?"

 

He gave me a weak smile before nodding.

 

"Is she okay?" I asked detective Cale.

 

"She's safe." Detective Phillips. I looked over and was a little surprised at the softness in his tone. Maybe he wasn't as bad as I thought.

 

“Okay.” I looked down and recalled what happened as best as I could. “It was Friday after PE, we had been running laps outside, and I had to grab my jacket. Everyone else had already gone in to shower, and I thought I was alone, but I heard some noises coming from behind the storage shed. I walked around behind it and saw Samuel pinning Sarah against the wall. He had one hand on her mouth, and the other was pulling up her shirt.”

 

“Who is Samuel?”

 

“His name is Samuel Jones. He’s a senior-” I sucked in a breath and looked at dad. He looked concerned and put a comforting hand on my knee.

 

“What is it, son?”

 

“Samuel is Denis’ brother,” I whispered. I can't believe that I forgot!

 

Everyone was shocked.

 

“Are you sure, Jamie?” Detective Cale asked.

 

I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. He told me.”

 

Detective Phillips stood and left.

 

“You can continue.” Detective Cale encouraged.

 

“So he said something about having a turn when he was done, and I told him to get away from her. He laughed and so I told him again before I tackled him. He punched me in the face and stood to kick me, but Sarah stopped him.” I smirked. “She kicked him in the nuts. She helped me up and asked me not to tell anyone before running off.”

 

“What happened to Samuel?”

 

“I just left him there.”

 

He nodded, and I took that as my cue to continue. “The next day dad and Danny went to a BBQ. I stayed home because I was grounded.” I felt dad’s hand tighten just a fraction, and I looked up. “It’s not your fault, dad. No one knew what was going to happen.” He pursed his lips and nodded. I could tell that he still blamed himself. I was determined to tell him that it wasn’t his fault every chance that I got. I looked back to detective Cale before continuing, “About 15 minutes after they left I heard voices downstairs. I ran to my room and called dad.”

 

“We have the phone records. What happened when you were found?”

 

“I was going to climb out the window, but D-Denis found me before I could. I tried to run around him, but he caught me and hit me. I tried to fight him off, but he saw it coming. He...pulled out a...taser. He uh...he used it and then Blake came in and then...Denis handcuffed me.”

 

“We found blood that wasn’t yours?” He questioned.

 

“Oh, right. I elbowed Denis in the face that could have been where it came from.”

 

He nodded. “How did they get you to the car?”

 

“He injected me with something, and I passed out. When I woke up, I was handcuffed to a pillar in a basement.”

 

“We have the tapes, so you don’t have to go over that stuff. What happened to your hand?”

 

I looked at the thick bandages on my hand. “After I woke up he came downstairs-”

 

“Who?”

 

“Uh...Denis. He uh...he came down and asked if I needed the bathroom. I said yes, and he took me outside. He pulled out a gun and he...he held it to my head and said that if I tried to run, he would ki-kill me.” I felt my hand trembling and looked up when dad took it in his. “After I finished, he reached out to grab me, and I stepped back. He said...he said that I tried to run and broke two of my fingers.” I could feel myself shaking.

 

“We can finish later if you want.”

 

I shook my head. “No, I want to get this over with.”

 

“Okay. Take your time.”

 

“After that, he took me back to the basement, and you have the videos, so I guess you know pretty much everything that happened after that.”

 

“We have both videos, but you have more injuries than you did in the videos.”

 

“You didn’t get the third one?” I asked. I was almost relieved that no one saw Denis attack me but at the same time… Now I had to tell them.

 

Detective Cale and dad looked at each other. “We never received the third video.”

 

“Oh, okay… Well, Blake came downstairs and said he was going to take me to the hospital. He picked me up because of my leg but, Denis got back before we could leave. He said Blake could leave, but I had to stay. When Blake tried to tell him he wasn’t going to leave me, Denis hit him with the gun and knocked him out. He grabbed me and tied me to the pillar with a rope. He tied it around my th-throat and then he ch...choked me with it. Then he broke the rest of my fingers.” I was crying now. I wanted to be strong for dad but, reliving what happened was harder than I thought it was going to be.

 

“You’re doing great, Jamie,” Dad encouraged me. I nodded and took a deep breath. “He went upstairs and brought the camera down and set it up. He told me Samuel was his brother. That’s how they found out about me. Then he said that you killed his father.” I looked at dad.

 

“Did he say who his father was?” Dad asked.

 

“No,”

 

“What happened next?” The detective asked softly.

 

“He had a knife, and he cut the rope and sat on my chest.  He c-cut my arm and then he uh...he, he- oh God. He…” I trailed off and tried to take deep breaths. I just wanted everything to go back to normal.

 

“Did he...touch you?” Detective Cale asked.

 

I let out a sob and willed myself to continue. “He k-kissed me.” I heard dad make a pained noise. I closed my eyes and tried to forget the feeling of his hands on me. “He tied me to the pillar, and he t-took off my p-pants.” I took a deep breath and tried to speak a quickly as possible. “He sat on my chest and k-kissed me again before cutting off my shirt. He cut me a few times, but Blake woke up and attacked him. Then he brought me to the hospital.” Once I finished, I felt dad sit on the bed next to me. He pulled me into a hug and ran a hand through my hair.

 

“I Just have one more question.” I looked up, and he continued. “Did Blake ever hurt you?”

 

“No,” I answered.

 

He nodded, turned off the recorder, and stood. “Thank you, Jamie. If you think of anything else, please call me.”

 

I nodded, and both detectives turned and left. As soon as the door closed, I broke down in dad’s arms. He just held me while I cried.

 

"I'm so proud of you, Jamie. You did so well."

 

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

 

"For what?"

 

"I didn't mean to upset you."

 

I felt him tighten his hold and run a hand through my hair. "You didn't upset me, Jamie. I'm so angry that there are monsters in the world that take pleasure in others pain and fear. If I lost my job because crime suddenly stopped, then I would be the happiest jobless man on the planet."

 

I smiled and pulled away enough to look him in the eye. "If crime stopped, a lot of people would be out of a job."

 

"There are other jobs that need to be filled. I would figure something out, so would everyone else. We would live in a different world."

 

"Maybe we would be happier."

 

"Maybe, but we'll never know. There are too many monsters in the world."

 

"I'm glad I have a monster hunter for a dad," I said with a smile.

 

He pulled me against his chest, and I felt him chuckle. "Me too."

 

"I love you, dad."

 

"I love you too, Jamie."

 

I curled up in his lap, and I eventually drifted off, feeling safe in my father’s arms.

 

**_______________**

  


The next day Jamie was released from the hospital. The nurse pulled me aside and went over how to care for his remaining injuries and informed me of the provided prescriptions. Jamie was scheduled for a follow-up appointment on Monday. She also gave me recommendations for a physical therapist and psychiatrist. I agreed to look into them but said I wanted to talk to Jamie about everything first. When he had been taken, he lost all freedom. He couldn’t make any decisions for himself, and I wanted to make sure he was given as much freedom as possible. I hoped it would help him heal.

 

When we arrived home, everyone was waiting. We wanted to throw a welcome home party with just the family. Jamie was excited to see everyone, but I could tell that he was a little overwhelmed with everything that was happening. He was having a hard time eating with his left hand and was clearly frustrated that he could barely do something as simple as feed himself.

 

Pop was the first to leave, saying he had some errands to run. Erin and Joe weren’t far behind saying something about studying. Danny decided he was going to stay a little while longer. I was glad to see Danny’s concern for Jamie; they had never been very close. Joe was always what had brought them together.

 

We sat down to watch a movie, and I smiled when I saw Jamie asleep on Danny’s shoulder. “How are you doing Danny?”

 

He smiled down at Jamie before answering. “I’m great, dad.” His smile fell as he brought a hand up and ran it through Jamie’s hair. “I was so scared that we weren’t going to find him in time.”

 

“Me too, son. Now that we have him back, I never want him out of my sight.”

 

Danny snorted. “Good luck with that. What 17-year-old wants to spend all of his time with his dad?”

 

“I know, but until we figure out who this Denis guy is, I don’t want him left alone.”

 

“Well, I can’t speak for Joe and Erin, but if you ever need someone to look after him, let me know.”

 

“Thanks Danny. Why don’t we get him to bed, that doesn’t look very comfortable.”

 

“Okay, I can carry him.” Danny offered.

 

“Are you sure? He’s not a little kid anymore, you know.”

 

“He’s still skinny.” He scowled at my skeptical look. “I promise I won’t drop him, dad.”

 

I nodded and followed them upstairs. Erin and Joe had cleaned Jamie’s room while he was in the hospital, but I still remembered where the blood had been. Danny gently laid Jamie down and pulled up the covers.

 

“Do you mind if I sleep here tonight, dad?”

 

“You know you’re always welcome, son.”

 

He smiled. “Thanks, dad.”

 

_______________

  


I woke to Jamie's screaming. I bolted out of bed and grabbed my off duty weapon. I made my way to Jamie’s room, meeting up with Danny. He opened the door, and I scanned the room. Seeing nothing out of place, I looked down at Jamie. He was thrashing, whimpering, and occasionally screaming. I rushed forward and gently shook his shoulders. “Jamie, wake up! It’s just a dream; you’re safe. Wake up!” As soon as I touched him, he flinched away.

 

“No! Please don’t! DAD!”

 

“Jamie! I’m right here! Just wake up, son. Please wake up. You’re safe.” I shook him again and, he let out a choked sob.

 

“Pl-please stop. Please, do-don’t.”

 

I put both hands on his face and wiped away his tears. “Please, Jamie. I’m right here. You’re safe. He can’t hurt you. You are safe.” Then he screamed, and my heart felt like it was trying to beat out of my chest. His scream cut off and he whimpered, lifting his left hand to cover mine. “Open your eyes, son. It’s dad; you’re safe. I promise.” Finally, he cracked open his eyes.

 

“Dad?” He asked cautiously.

 

“I’m right here. You’re okay; you’re safe.” He reached out and touched my face as if he didn’t quite believe me. He looked over my shoulder, and his eyes widened.

 

“It’s just Danny. We aren’t going to let anyone hurt you.”

 

Danny slowly walked to the other side of the bed and carefully sat down. “Hey, kid. It’s okay. Just your handsome big brother.”

 

Jamie let out a choked laugh before looking at the ceiling.

 

“Do you want to talk about it?” I asked softly. We waited a few minutes before he nodded.

 

“It was the same as last time. I was in the basement wi-with D- with Him. I was tied to the pillar, and he was sitting on me. He kept cutting me. He said he was going to ki-kill me but not before he had s-some fu-fun.” He took a deep breath, and I grabbed his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I looked over at Blake, but in the dream, he was d-dead. D-Denis killed him. He ki-kissed me, and then he hit me. He-”

 

Jamie let out a sob and closed his eyes. I looked at Danny. He was silently crying into his hands. I felt tears on my own face and wished that I could erase these nightmares from my son’s memory. I pulled Jamie against my chest, and when he continued, his words were muffled.

 

“He t-took off his b-belt and k-ki-kissed me again. Then he-he… He flipped me onto my stomach and, and, an-” He was almost hyperventilating. “I could feel him on top of me.” His breath was coming in ragged gasps, and I exaggerated my breathing, so he had something to focus on. After a few minutes, he calmed a little before taking a deep breath. “I screamed and kicked but he wouldn’t st-stop. He slammed my head into the floor, and then I woke up.” He was sobbing hysterically, and I ran my hand through his hair. He flinched, but I didn’t stop. I felt Danny put his arms around us, and we cried with him.

 

“I’m here, Jamie. I won’t let him hurt you anymore.” I whispered.

 

“I can still feel his hands on me. I see his face every time I close my eyes. It won’t stop; I just want it to stop.” He said brokenly.

 

Please, God, what do I do? How can I make the pain go away? “Tell me what you need me to do.”

 

“Don’t leave me.” He answered sleepily.

 

We held each other until Jamir fell asleep. I gently laid him down and pulled up the blanket. Danny and I looked at each other for a long few seconds before I laid down on Jamie’s left. Following my lead, Danny laid down on his right, and we fell asleep hoping that it would be enough to keep the nightmares away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The conversation Jamie and Frank had was really fun to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	13. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was initially over 4,300 words, so I decided to cut it in half, that's why it says there are 17 chapters again. I guess I was right the first time.

When I woke, I realized that my pillow was breathing. I cracked my eyes open to see who it was. First, there was the plain grey t-shirt, then there was the calloused hand on mine and finally, the ever-present mustache that my father always had. Upon realizing that it was my dad, I relaxed and enjoyed the warmth. There was a hand draped over my waist, and I figured that it had to be Danny. Neither was awake, and I wasn’t about to disrupt them. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.

 

I jolted awake when my pillow moved.

 

“Sorry, son, I didn’t mean to wake you. How are you doing?”

 

I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Danny was still asleep, but he had rolled onto his back. “Better. Thanks for last night. It’s the first time I've had decent sleep since…in a while.”

 

He smiled and gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I’m glad. We’ll do anything that you need us to do. I just want you to feel safe.”

 

I smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” I looked over at Danny. “Do you think we should wake him?”

 

“No, let him sleep. He hasn’t gotten much rest these past few days.” I nodded. “What do you want for breakfast?” He asked.

 

“French toast?”

 

He smiled. “French toast it is.” He got up and helped me hobble downstairs. I could only use one crutch because of my hand, and it made getting places agonizingly slow. It took us about five minutes to make it to the kitchen, and by the time we got there, I was panting from the effort. Dad helped me sit down, and I watched as he went through the process of making breakfast. He finished mixing the eggs before grabbing some bacon from the fridge and a couple of potatoes for hash browns. He opened the loaf of bread and started bathing the slices in the egg mixture. He laid four pieces out on the skillet and turned to make the hashbrowns. “Come watch the french toast while I grate these potatoes.” He said with a smile. I limped over and leaned my crutch against the counter. I took the spatula, and we worked side by side to prepare the food. It was difficult using my left hand, but I managed to keep everything off the floor.

 

By the time dad had started the bacon, we had heard Danny moving around upstairs. When he came down, he still looked half asleep.

 

“Mornin’” He mumbled as he slumped into a seat at the counter.

 

“Morning, Danny. How’d you sleep?” I asked.

 

“Pretty good considering someone kept kicking me.” He commented with a smirk.

 

I scoffed. “Did not! Your just a bed hog.”

 

“Pretty sure it was you that kept flailing around. I think you were trying to kick me out of bed!”

 

I laughed and threw a potato at his head. He ducked quickly and gave a triumphant smile. “Missed!” He exclaimed.

 

“Oh, now you're on!” I shouted.

 

This time I threw an egg at him, and considering that I was using my non-dominant hand, I managed to hit him square in the forehead. It cracked and oozed down his face and into his lap. I heard dad chuckle and laughed along with him. “I didn’t miss that time, Danny!” The shocked look on his face morphed into mock anger, and he crossed his arms and pouted. Dad threw a towel at him, and he cleaned the egg off as best as he could.

 

“I’m going to get you for this, you know.” He said coolly.

 

“Gonna have to catch me first!” I shouted as he jumped up from his chair. I laughed, grabbed my crutch, and managed to put the island between us. I felt my ribs twitch in protest, and I faltered long enough for Danny to catch me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, and for a split second, I panicked. I flashed back to my nightmare, Denis was on top of me, and I could feel his hands on me and- I shook the images from my head and tried to remember that I was safe, that it was Danny and not Him. Danny must have noticed because he immediately stopped.

 

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” He didn’t let go, but he loosened his hold.

 

I took a deep breath to calm myself and shook my head. “Just bumped my ribs is all,” I answered. He let me go and carefully spun me around.

 

“You sure?”

 

I smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, Danny; besides, you look ridiculous, so it takes my mind right off it,” I said with a chuckle.

 

He brought his hand to his chest in mock hurt. “Well if you hadn’t decided to have an unfair food fight, then I would look like my regular handsome self.”

 

I scoffed. “I’m pretty sure I deserve a handicap, under the circumstances.” I held up my bandaged hand and smiled.

 

He laughed. “I guess I can’t argue with that. I’m going to go take a shower before breakfast.” He got up and went upstairs.

 

I rested my crutch against a chair and awkwardly bent down to grab the potato that I had thrown. I realized that I was stuck; I couldn’t hold the potato and the crutch at the same time. I tried to think of a solution, but I came up short. My shoulders slumped in defeat.

 

“Toss it to me,” Dad said softly. I looked up with watery eyes and carefully threw it into his waiting hand. I hobbled back to the counter to flip the french toast. He looked at me and smiled. I could tell he wanted to ask me if I was okay. I wasn’t, but I wanted to be. I smiled back. “I’m fine, dad. He was way more gentle then he usually is.”

 

“I didn’t ask.”

 

“I know, but you wanted to.”

 

He nodded, and I flipped the french toast.

 

Five minutes later, dad was laying the food and plates out. He cleaned the mess from cooking as I looked on and wallowed in the feeling of uselessness that was trying to overwhelm my every thought. I shook my head and firmly reminded myself that it was only temporary. Once I healed a little, I would be able to start physical therapy.

 

A few minutes later, Danny came back from his shower, and we sat down for breakfast. We ate quietly, and after we finished, Danny started grabbing dishes. Dad put a hand on my arm. “I need to talk to you.”

 

“Uh…okay,” I said nervously.

 

“Nothing’s wrong; I just need to talk to you about some things. I don’t want to make any decisions without talking to you first.”

 

I swallowed. “Okay,”

 

When you were discharged from the hospital, the nurse gave me some recommendations for physical therapists.”

 

I nodded. “The doctor said I would need physical therapy.”

 

“They also recommended a psychiatrist…” He added hesitantly.

 

“I’m not surprised.” I looked down at my hand and tried not to think about telling another stranger what happened.

 

“I’m not going to make you do anything that you don’t want to Jamie.”

 

I looked into his eyes and gave him a small smile. “I know. I…I think it’s a good idea. The psychiatrist, I mean.”

 

“Okay. We’ll find someone you like.” He said encouragingly.

 

I looked down again. “Like a female doctor?” I asked quietly.

 

He put a hand on my knee and nodded. “Anything you want son,"

 

I felt tears threaten to spill, and I tried to blink them away. Dad pulled me into a hug and let me cry. It only lasted a couple of minutes, but I was so grateful that I had a father who loved me unconditionally. “Thanks, dad,” I said as I wiped my tears away.

 

“What should we do today?” He asked.

 

“Watch a movie?” I asked, hopefully. I didn't really feel like doing much.

 

“That sounds great Jamie.” I smiled, and we made our way to the living room. I settled on the couch with dad, and Danny picked a movie. I was asleep after just15 minutes.

 

_______________

  
  


Later that night, after Danny had left and Jamie had gone to bed, I sat in the kitchen trying to figure out what to do. Jamie needed to see a psychiatrist. He had agreed, but I could tell that he was nervous. I had seen a few psychiatrists; maybe if I talked to him about my experiences, he would be more open to the idea.

 

I was jolted out of my thoughts when my phone rang. I answered without looking at the caller ID.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Frank, this is detective Cale. I’m sorry to call so late.”

 

I looked at the clock and saw that it was well past midnight. “What can I do for you, detective?”

 

“We figured out who Denis is. His name is Simon Ritter. Paul Ritter’s son.”

 

Paul Ritter? It can’t be. “Are you absolutely certain?”

 

“Yes. We ran Simon’s blood through the database again. This time we looked for a familial match. We figured if you really shot his father, he would be in there. He matched with Paul Ritter with 96% certainty.”

 

“It fits. The FBI believed that he had an accomplice, but we never found him after Paul was killed. There was no DNA evidence to support the accomplice theory, and none of his victims ever survived.”

 

“That’s the thing; someone did survive. A year before Paul died, a 15-year-old boy went missing. His name was Samuel Harris. His mother died in a car accident, and the next day Samuel was kidnapped. He was never found. No one knew who had taken him. Julie Harris claims that she kidnapped and raped when she was 17. She said the man that took her tried to kill her, but she was able to fight him off and escape. It was still early in the investigation against Ritter, but I went back and compared the DNA, and it came back as a 97% paternity match. Julie was the one that got away.”

 

I ran a hand across my face as I tried to wrap my head around this new information. Why did it have to be him? He almost destroyed this family once, and now his son has come back to finish the job.

 

“Are you still with me, Frank?”

 

“Yeah, yeah I’m here.”

 

“Samuel started at Jamie’s school nine months after Ritter died. As far as we know, Kidnapping Jamie is Simon's first crime in two years.”

 

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

 

“I’m sorry, Frank. I’m sure this is bringing back a lot of bad memories. I’ve sent a unit to your house. They will follow Jamie wherever he goes. We’re going to do everything we can to keep him safe. If you need anything else, just let me know.”

 

“Thank you, detective.” I hung up and ran my hands through my hair. He’s back to haunt me just like he promised. Why did Simon have to take Jamie? Why couldn’t it have been me? I got up to head to bed when I heard Jamie scream. I ran up the stairs and into his room, he was writhing on the bed, whimpering and crying. I rushed over and pulled his head into my lap. “Shh, Jamie. It’s just a dream, wake up, son.”

 

“No! Do-don’t… Please! Dad!”

 

“I’m here, Jamie. Just open your eyes. Please, son.” He stopped moving and cracked open his eyes. “There you go, wake up.”

 

“Dad?”

 

“I’m right here. You’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.” I helped him sit up and pulled him into a hug. He sobbed into my shoulder, and I felt my own tears fall. “Why don’t we go to my room and try to get some sleep?”

 

“O-okay.”

 

“Okay, up you get.” I helped him stand, handed him the crutch, and then I gently guided him to my bed. I laid on my back, and he crawled in and rested his head on my chest. I wrapped my arm around him, and he sighed.

 

“M’sorry.” He mumbled.

 

I looked down quizzically. “Why are you sorry son?”

 

“I don’t want you to worry.”

 

“I’m always worried, Jamie. Even if none of this had happened, I would worry about you. I’m your father; it’s my job.” I assured him.

 

“Okay.” He replied before drifting off.

 

“I love you, Jamie.” I pulled the blankets up and fell asleep to the sound of Jamie’s soft breathing.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know anything about psychiatrists. I talked to a school counselor a few times, and I took a psychology class in high school; that's the extent of my knowledge on the subject. 
> 
> Jamie talks to a psychiatrist, so some of the things that happened to him are brought up.

The following days were all pretty much the same. After the second nightmare, I started sleeping in dad’s room. I still had bad dreams, but dad’s presence made them less terrifying. We would get up and make breakfast together, or rather, I would watch him make breakfast, and then we would watch movies or play games. It took a lot of effort to go anywhere, so we mostly stayed in the living room. We would make lunch, and then I would fall asleep on the couch. I was tired all the time, but dad said it was normal while I was healing. Everyone came over at some point, and I was grateful to have such a caring family.

 

On Sunday we went to church. It was a disaster; I almost had a panic attack after just 15 minutes. Dad rushed me home and apologized over and over while I cried and wished that I wasn’t scared all the time. We still had family dinner as usual. No one asked about my breakdown, and I suspected it had something to do with dad.

 

Being surrounded by family was the best thing for me. For a while, I forgot about what had happened. I lived in the moment instead of worrying about the future or reliving the past.

 

I, eventually, stopped flinching when dad touched me. I felt like it was a significant improvement. He always made sure I could see him when he moved toward me. I felt terrible that he had to, but I was grateful nonetheless. Whenever someone came up behind me, I freaked out a little. I felt like a ticking bomb, any sudden movement could set me off, and I had no way of knowing when it would be. Dad barely left my side; he had taken time off of work to be with me. I could tell he was scared that something would happen if he wasn’t there to protect me.

 

A couple of days after I was released for the hospital, dad told me that Blake had pleaded guilty to kidnapping and was sentenced to 15 years with the chance of parole after 8 years. They had lowered it from a life sentence for extenuating circumstances. The fact that he hadn’t personally hurt me, that he had saved my life, and that he had shown genuine remorse for everything that had happened, saved him from a lifetime in prison.

 

I felt bad for Sarah. Why was she living with her brother? Were her parents dead? Did she have any other relatives that could take her in, or would she end up in foster care? I had asked dad about her, but he didn’t know either. 

 

On Monday, I had my follow up appointment. Everything was healing well, although I was supposed to wait at least two more weeks before I could start physical therapy. They wanted the bones to heal so that I didn’t accidentally do more damage.

 

After the examination, Dad and Dr. Hanson stepped out into the hall, and I could tell they were talking about the psychiatrist. I got dressed and waited for them to come back.

 

I looked up when the door opened, and dad smiled. “Ready to go?”

 

“Yep.”

 

Dr. Hanson came over and put a hand on my shoulder. I concentrated on not flinching; I knew she wasn’t going to hurt me. “I’m glad you’re doing well, Jamie.” She squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll see you in two weeks.”

 

I nodded and slid off the exam table. “So… Did she have any specific recommendations?” I asked.

 

He smiled. “You are my son. Yes. She has a friend who would be...equipped...to help you.” He answered hesitantly.

 

I grimaced at his word choice but nodded and followed him to the car.

 

_______________

  
  


Dad called the psychiatry office as soon as we got home. We had talked about what I expected and what would be expected of me. Dad had spoken to his fair share of psychiatrists, so he had at least a vague idea of what to expect. The doctor’s name was Stacy Hoffman. She specialized in children that had dealt with trauma. She had graduated in 2003 and had an apprenticeship for four years; she had owned her own practice for the last seven years. Was she going to make me tell her everything that happened? Was she going to tell me that I just needed to get over my fear so I could move on with life? The longer I had to think about it, the more I was dreading having to go. I was brought out of my thoughts when dad came back in.

 

“So we have an appointment for Friday.”

 

I nodded. I was nervous. I knew I needed help, but I suddenly regretted agreeing to see someone.

 

“Hey, it’s going to be fine. If you don’t like her, we can find someone else.”

 

“Yeah, I… I know. I’m just nervous.”

 

“It’s okay to be nervous. I’ll be there with you. Everything is going to be fine.” He pulled me into a hug before pulling back and looking me in the eye. “We’ll go for the first session and see what happens.”

 

“Okay, dad.”

 

_______________ 

  
  


When we walked into the office, I was a little shocked. It was way fancier than I thought it was going to be. I wondered, not for the first time, how much everything was costing. I was worried about how much stress everything was putting on dad. I felt guilty. The nightmares, the medical bills, my skittishness; I could see the pain in dad’s eyes every time I flinched away from someone. I thought back to my breakdown on Sunday. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I knew no one was going to hurt me, but I was still scared. People kept coming up to me, asking how I was doing, saying they were glad that I was okay. I’m not okay, but no one really cared about the truth. Maybe that’s what triggered the panic attack, hearing so many people tell me that I was okay. It made me feel like I wasn’t supposed to be afraid anymore, that I should be fine now that I was home with my family. I wanted to go back to being the person I was before, but the harder I tried to be okay, the less I was. The only way forward is through. That’s why I’m here; I have to work through everything instead of trying to go back or around.

 

I had also been watching dad over the past week. He was more worried than he let on. I needed to do this for myself, but I also needed to do it for him, to show him that I was getting better.

 

We arrived a half hour early so that he would have plenty of time to fill out paperwork. Dad told me to find a seat, and he went to check me in. Fifteen minutes after he finished the paperwork, the doctor walked out.

 

“Hello. I’m Dr. Hoffman; you must be Frank.” She shook his hand and turned to me. “That means you must be Jameson.”

 

“It’s Jamie, actually.” I corrected.

 

“Of course.” She said with a smile.

 

She seemed kind enough, but I was still wary. Was she going to interrogate me? Force me to talk about what happened even if I didn't want to?

 

“I’ll be out here when you're done,” Dad said.

 

I smiled and followed Dr. Hoffman to her office.

 

“Sit anywhere you like.”

 

I looked around at the, surprisingly, cozy office. There was a couch in the middle of the room with two comfortable looking chairs across from it. There was a coffee table in between them. It had a tray with a steaming pot of, what I guessed was, water. There was an assortment of teas and two small mugs on one side of the pot and a cup full of sugar cubes on the other. There was a desk behind the chairs, and behind the desk, there was a set of large bookshelves. At the other end of the room, behind the couch, was a large table and a shelf full of toys and games. I sat on the sofa, set the crutch against the arm, and tried not to fidget. Dr. Hoffman sat in one of the chairs and offered me a cup of tea. I accepted, grateful that I had something to occupy my hand.

 

“So, what would you like to talk about?” She asked.

 

I was a little confused. Didn’t she know why I was here? I cleared my throat before answering, “Umm… I-I don’t know.” She didn’t say anything, and I racked my brain for something to say. “You know why I’m here, right? My dad told you what happened?”

 

“Yes, he told me what happened. Would you like to talk about that?”

 

“Uh… Well not really but… That’s why I’m here, right?” I looked up wondering what exactly she wanted me to say.

 

“That’s okay; we can wait until your ready. Do you want to tell me a little about yourself?”

 

“O-okay. Um… I’m 17; I like reading and sports. I have two brothers and a sister. Danny’s the oldest, then Erin, then Joe. I’m the youngest. Erin is going to law school, and Joe is at the police academy. My grandpa is the Police Commissioner, and my dad is a detective. My grandma died when I was little, and my mom died last year.” Once I finished, I looked up and waited for her to say something.

 

“Well, I can tell that you care about your family. Are you close to Danny?”

 

I was a little surprised at the question and had to think about it for a minute. “I guess? Two weeks ago I would have said no, but now… He was there the first time I woke up in the hospital. My first night home, he was there. I had a nightmare, and he and dad stayed with me for the rest of the night. So I guess we are closer now.”

 

“What was your nightmare about?” She asked cautiously.

 

I looked down at my cooling tea.

 

“You don’t have to answer any questions that you don’t want to.”

 

I nodded. “How much do you know about what happened?”

 

“Your father gave me some basic information. You were kidnapped from your home by two men. They believed that you had assaulted a classmate. They tortured you and sent videos to your father. One of them brought you to the hospital. I decided that I wanted to hear the rest of it from you. When you’re ready to share it, of course.”

 

I nodded. “Blake didn’t try to stop him… Denis at first, but in the end, he saved my life.” I whispered to the floor. “The nightmare is always the same. Blake tries to take me to the hospital, and Denis stops us. Only this time, instead of just knocking Blake out, he kills him.” I realize that I’m crying and quickly wipe my face.

 

When I look up, she gives me an encouraging smile. I look down at my now cold tea. I set the mug down on the table and sit back. Wanting to change the subject, I try to think of a question to ask her. “So, do you have kids?”

 

She smiles and puts her empty mug down. Isn’t she supposed to take notes or something?

 

“I’ll answer your question if you answer mine.”

 

I think about it for a second before nodding.

 

“I have two children. Jonathan is 4, and Jane is 2.” She pauses, and I look up. She catches my eye before continuing. “None of this is your fault.”

 

“That’s not a question.”

 

She nods. “You're not denying it, but if you know it’s not your fault, why do you feel guilty?”

 

I’m shocked. “How did you… How do you know that?”

 

“I’m good at reading people.”

 

I hesitate. Why do I feel guilty? “I think it’s because of my mom. She got sick, and there were a lot of medical bills. It was really hard on my dad.”

 

“And now you feel like your dad is having a hard time with everything, like this is a repeat of when your mom was sick?”

 

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I’m 17, I’m almost an adult.”

 

“Do you think that if you were 18 that your father wouldn’t be helping you as much?”

 

“I-I don’t know… Maybe?”

 

“From what you’ve said about your family, and from the brief interaction I saw between you and your father, I can tell you are very close. There is no doubt in my mind that even if you were 25 when this happened, your father would show the same love and support that he is now. I don’t think you could stop him if you tried.”

 

I smiled. “I know, I just wish that it wasn’t so hard.”

 

“It will get easier.”

 

I smile and nod. “I know. It already has.”

 

She looks at her watch and frowns. “Well, that’s all the time I have today, but I’ll see you next week. If you decide that you like me.”

 

Can she read minds or did dad say something earlier? “I’ll see you next week.” I got up and walked to the door. I turned and looked back at Dr. Hoffman. “Thank you.”

 

“I’m glad I could help.”

 

I opened the door and went to find dad. I walked up and hugged him.

 

“Hey. How did it go?”

 

“We are coming back next week,” I said with a smile.

 

“So, you like her?”

 

“Yeah, she’s...really nice.”

 

“Good. Now, how about some lunch?”

 

“Sounds good.”


	15. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo!! 1,000 hits! Thanks, guys!!!
> 
> Mentions of rape and murder.

On Saturday, everyone came over for a family day. Erin and Joe had been pretty busy with their studies, and this was the first time since Sunday that we had been able to get together. Jamie was doing a lot better physically and mentally. The stitches in his arm and chest had been removed on Monday, and the scabs were almost gone. The bruising on his face and throat had faded to a yellow/brown color. The open wounds on his wrists had closed, but they were still a green/blue color. He still had to be careful with his hand. I could tell when it was bothering him; he would cradle it against his chest when it started to hurt. The pain killers helped, but he didn’t take them as often as he could have, he said they made his head fuzzy. His ribs were still pretty sore, but I made sure he didn’t do anything too strenuous. He often complained the cast on his leg was itchy, and I told him that it was just for a few more weeks. He would roll his eyes and grumble under his breath in response.

 

Jamie and pop sat in the shade and watched the rest of us play soccer. Jamie was the ref since he wasn’t up to running around quite yet. It was Danny and Joe against Erin and I. So far the score was 2-1, and Danny was being a poor sport about it.

 

Erin elbowed Danny in the ribs and managed to score another goal. Danny threw his hands in the air. “Jamie, she cheated!”

 

“I didn’t see anything.” He responded with a straight face.

 

“Grandpa, tell me you saw that!” Danny insisted.

 

“I don’t know what you're talking about, Danny.” Pop said with a smile.

 

“You guys are all cheaters! I don’t want to play anymore!” Danny yelled in exasperation.

 

“Are you forfeiting?” Erin asked.

 

“Yes! No? I don’t know!” He crossed his arms and pouted.

 

“We aren’t forfeiting, Erin,” Joe said with a chuckle.

 

We played for 15 more minutes before we called it a game. We won 5-3 and Danny was almost throwing a tantrum. He was stomping around and glaring at everybody. “You guys cheated, so it doesn’t count!”

 

“It’s just a game, Danny.”

 

“Whatever! I refuse to play with cheaters.” He walked into the house, and we all burst out laughing.

 

“Ow, ow! Don’t make me laugh!” Jamie gasped out between giggles.

 

My phone rang, and I tried to control my own laughter. I looked down at the caller ID and sobered immediately. Everyone gave me a questioning look as I answered. “Hello?”

 

“Frank, it’s detective Cale. I have some news.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“We’ve been monitoring your email. You got another video.”

 

I closed my eyes and sighed. It must be the other video Jamie had told us about. “Did you watch it?”

 

“Yes. It’s… It’s pretty bad, Frank. If Blake hadn't have been there…”

 

I looked over at Jamie. He was smiling at a story Joe was telling. It had been a while since he had smiled like that. Joe was the ‘Jamie Whisperer,’ and it made me a bit jealous. I loved the way his eyes crinkled and lit up when he smiled. He looked at Joe like he was sunshine on a warm spring day; like he could do no wrong. Then his eyes turned to me, and I could see pure love in his eyes. He looked at me like I was the hero of the story. He smiled, and I could see the unwavering trust, he knew that I would never let anyone hurt him, I made him feel safe. I took all this in and remembered that I almost lost him. When Mary died, it felt like someone had taken my heart and stomped on it before putting it back. It was damaged but not broken. I made sure it kept beating for my kids. When Jamie had been taken, when the possibility of him never coming home overwhelmed my every thought, it felt like someone had taken my heart and cut it into pieces. I don’t know what I would have done if I had lost him. Knowing who took him, I’m surprised we got him back at all. “There’s something else isn’t there?”

 

“Yeah. Simon said he was going to finish what his father started. He also threatened Sarah, but she moved to Florida with her grandparents. We alerted her family and the local police, but I don’t think he’s going after her yet. We traced the email to a cafe and got the video footage. He didn’t even try to hide from the cameras. We arrived a couple of hours after the fact, so we lost him, but I sent an additional unit to your house.”

 

“Okay, thank you, detective.”

 

I hung up, and everyone gave me an expectant look. I sighed and pursed my lips. I guess it’s time to tell everyone what’s going on. “Why don’t we head in; I have some news.”

 

Everyone nodded, and we made our way to the living room. We passed Danny on the way, and he gave me a confused look but didn’t comment. Once we were settled, I thought about where to start. “I just got a call from detective Cale. They got the third video.” I felt Jamie stiffen next to me, and I looked over. I saw tears gather in his eyes, and I reached over to take his hand. He blinked several times and managed to compose himself before giving a weak nod. “Denis threatened Jamie and Sarah-”

 

“Is she okay?” Jamie asked quickly.

 

“She moved to Florida with her grandparents. The local police have been alerted, but Denis was spotted in Manhattan just a couple of hours ago.” I reassured him.

 

“Okay, that’s good. I’m glad Sarah's safe.” I squeezed his hand and smiled. He had always had the biggest heart.

 

“Did they figure out who he is?” Pop asked.

 

“Yes. His real name is Simon Ritter, Paul Ritter’s son.”

 

Erin and Joe gasped, pop put his head in his hands and Danny got up and started pacing. I looked over at Jamie.

 

“Isn’t he that guy you killed two years ago?” He asked.

 

“Yes, Jamie. He was a serial killer.”

 

“Wait. What? You mean… The Executioner?” He said in disbelief.

 

“Yes,” I answered solemnly. They called him The Executioner because he hung all his victims. “Two years ago, the FBI came to town. There had been three bodies that had been found. They believed it was the work of The Executioner. They had been after him for almost twenty years; they followed him across five states. They finally caught up to him in Manhattan two years ago. They brought in a lot of cops in for back up. My partner and I were on the perimeter detail. We got a call saying that he had escaped and to be on the lookout. Sure enough, 10 minutes later, a man came stumbling down an alley. We told him to freeze and get down on the ground. He did, and we approached, but he pulled a gun and started shooting. I shot him, and he died on the way to the hospital. They used DNA evidence and linked him to 37 murders. The FBI always suspected that he had an accomplice. It turns out it was Simon.”

 

“What about Samuel?” Jamie whispered.

 

“His mother died in a car accident three years ago, and the next day Samuel was kidnapped. Julie Harris, Samuel’s mother, was kidnapped and raped when she was 17. Detective Cale compared his DNA to Paul’s and discovered that he is Samuel’s father.”

 

“That poor kid.” Erin gasped.

 

I nodded in agreement. Everyone but Jamie and Joe knew about this next part. “A couple of days after he was killed, I got a call from the FBI. They had gone through everything that was found in his apartment.” I turned and looked Jamie in the eye. “You were going to be the next victim. They found pictures of you on his wall.”

 

“What?!” How come I never knew about this?” Joe yelled.

 

“You were 17 at the time, Joe, I didn’t think you needed to know. The only reason they told me was because they suspected that he had an accomplice. They wanted me to be prepared.” I answered without taking my eyes off Jamie. He looked like he was going into shock. “Jamie?” He looked up with glassy eyes.

 

“Did he rape all of his victims?” He whispered.

 

“Y-yes. He did.” I confessed. He closed his eyes and turned away. “Jamie?” His shoulder sook, and I realized he was crying. I put my hand on his shoulder, and he leaped into my arms. “Oh, Jamie.”

 

“That’s what the third video was supposed to be.”

 

“What?” I asked.

 

“He was going to ra… and-and ki-kill me and send you the video.” He sobbed.

 

I held him tighter and cried with him. “I’m sorry, Jamie. I’m so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> BAM! Now you know all of the things!
> 
> It's not over, there is one more chapter and an epilogue!


	16. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for violence.

It had been two weeks since I had told Jamie about Paul Ritter. Everyone has been on edge. No one had seen or heard from Simon since the last email. The FBI had gotten involved, and the hunt had yielded no new evidence. For all anyone knew, Simon and Samuel had left the state. I knew that wasn't the case; he had threatened Jamie.

 

Jamie had changed a lot from what happened. He’s quieter; he only talks openly with family. Anytime we go somewhere; he avoids talking unless he absolutely needs too. His first Sunday back, we went to church. I didn’t even think about how it would affect him. We were barely there 15 minutes before he started to panic. I quickly ushered him out to the car as people looked on in pity. I rushed home, and we barely made it through the door before he broke down in my arms. It broke my heart to see him in so much pain, to hear him think there was something wrong with him. I vowed to get him in to see a psychiatrist as soon as possible. When we went to his first session with Dr. Hoffman, I was almost as nervous as Jamie. When he came out and said that he wanted to come back next week, I was thrilled. He was going to get the help he needed. We found someone he liked, and he was excited. He stopped flinching at sudden movement and touch, although I noticed that he sometimes clenched his hands or jaw. I realized it was his way of forcing himself not to react every time someone or something startled him.

 

After he had been home for three weeks, we both decided that he was ready to go back to school. We were still worried about Simon, but it had been two weeks since he had been seen. We didn't want him to dictate our lives anymore, so Jamie went back to school. There were only five weeks left, but he said he wanted to finish the year. He only had one more year, and he didn’t want to start his senior year behind everyone else. So the following Monday he went back. He managed to make it a week and a half at school before his cast came off. He was so excited to be rid of ‘that stupid crutch’ as he called it. He still had a slight limp, but Dr. Hoffman assured us that it would go away once he built his strength back up.

 

_______________

 

I slowly improved over the next four weeks. I was back in my own bed, only having nightmares occasionally. I started physical therapy last week. It sucked, but I really wanted to be able to use my hand again. I had gone back to school two weeks ago, and it was tough to write with my left hand. At least the cast on my leg had come off a couple of days ago. I had to carry a backpack around because I had no free hands when I was walking. Now that I didn’t need to use a crutch, I could actually open a door by myself. I still had a limp, but Dr. Hoffman gave me some exercises to help strengthen the muscles.

 

Everyone knew that something had happened to me, but no one knew the details. Some crazy rumors were going around, but they were just that, rumors. Some people thought that I had been in a car accident; others thought that I had been mugged. When people tried to ask me what happened, I just shrugged them off; I didn’t really want anyone to know what had happened. Maybe that was why the new rumor was that I had been kidnapped because my dad is a detective. They weren’t wrong, but I wasn’t going to let them know that. In a few days someone would come up with something else, and it will probably be ridiculous, but at least they won’t know the truth. It helped that Blake had pleaded guilty if he would have gone to trial it probably would have been a big deal. He helped a serial killer kidnap and torture the son of the detective that had killed his father and partner. It probably would have been televised, and I might have had to testify. I don’t think I would have been able to do it.

 

No one knew why Sarah had moved. The football players that had assaulted her were arrested, and since they were all 18, they had been sentenced to four years in prison. The only upside to being the center of attention was that they were too focused on me to really give her a second thought. That was until everyone received pictures of her assault yesterday. Samuel had kept his promise. I’m just glad she wasn’t here when it happened. Everyone’s attention shifted off of me after that. Police had managed to get most people to delete the images, but someone had posted the pictures on social media. It took them a couple of hours to have the images removed, but by then, a lot of people had seen them. I just hoped that, wherever she was, she had been spared the humiliation of the people around her finding out.

 

The only thing missing was Simon and Samuel. The search was intense for the first two weeks. After that, it quickly fizzled out. Everyone assumed that they had gone into hiding, I hoped they were right. I was still scared that he was going to come back for me, dad was too. He always made sure I had a ride to and from school. I used to ride the bus when he had to work, but now Danny or Joe or Erin would give me a ride. Grandpa even picked me up sometimes. I felt a little smothered, but I was too scared to say anything.

 

Friday of my third week back, dad called just as the final bell rang.

 

“Hey, dad, what’s up?”

 

“I’m going to be late picking you up. I was at the station with the FBI when they got a call about someone spotting Simon. I lost track of time, but I’m on my way. I should be there in 20 minutes.”

 

“Do you think it’s really him?”

 

“I hope so, son.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“I’ll see you soon.”

 

“Okay, I’ll be in the library. I love you.”

 

“Love you too.”

 

I hung up and gathered my things. I waved goodbye to Ben and made my way to the library. When I walked in, the librarian looked up. “Hi, Mrs. Kyger.”

 

“Hello, Jamie. What can I do for you?”

 

“My dad is running late, and I was wondering if I could wait in here.”

 

“Sure thing. Just stop by my office on your way out so I can lock up.” She answered with a smile.

 

“Okay, thanks.” She scanned the last stack of books and put them on the cart before turning and walking to her office. I went over to one of the two couches and pulled out a book. I had only been reading for a few minutes when movement caught my eye. I looked up but couldn’t figure out where it had come from. “Mrs. Kyger?” When no one answered, I went back to my book, but I wasn’t really reading anymore, I felt like someone was watching me.

 

After a couple more minutes of reading the same paragraph over and over, I put the book away and decided to wait in the commons area. I got up and walked toward Mrs. Kyger’s office. As soon as I opened the door, all of the breath rushed out of me.

 

“Hello, Jamie. Did you miss me?”

 

I gasped and took a step back. He leaned toward me, and I turned and ran. I brought my phone out and speed-dialed dad as I made my way upstairs to the other exit.

 

“Hey, Jamie I’m sor-”

 

“Dad, he’s here!” I whisper yelled. I could feel myself starting to panic.

 

“Simon?”

 

“Yes! He’s here.” I reached the door and threw it open, only to come face to face with Samuel. I screamed and threw my backpack at him. I had a lot of homework so it was full of textbooks and it was heavy enough to knock him to the ground. He landed with a grunt, and I took the opportunity to jump over him and run.

 

“What happened?!”

 

“Samuel is here too!” I yelled.

 

“You need to find people Jamie.”

 

“No one is here! Everyone left as soon as the bell rang!” I was freaking out. I never wanted to see Denis again. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about what would happen if he caught me.

 

“Jamie, you need to calm down. I’m going to add Detective Cale to the call, okay?”

 

“Okay,” I said as I ran down the halls. I had planned on running to the nearest exit, but De- Simon appeared down the hall. I slid to a stop and tried to think of my next move. If he got ahold of me… I shuddered at the thought of him ever touching me again. I heard the footsteps too late, and suddenly there was a white-hot flare of pain in my side. I screamed and almost fell to the floor. I dropped my phone and wrapped my arm around the pain; I leaned against the wall and kicked out desperately. I managed to land a kick, and Samuel went down hard. I turned and ran past him. I ran down the hall and into a classroom. I hid in the corner and took stock of my injury; I had a large gash along my ribs on my right side. It was pretty deep, and I was bleeding everywhere. I looked up and saw the trail of blood that I had left behind. I took my jacket off and tied it around the wound to try and staunch the bleeding.

 

I stood and tried to figure out what part of the school I was in. I looked around and realized that I was in the biology room. To get to the nearest exit, I would have to go straight through the hall and down the stairs. It was the closest exit, but Samuel would know that. The next best option would be to go left and then down the stairs on the right. Samuel would know all of the exits and would assume that I would head to the nearest one. At least I hoped he would. I cracked the door open and looked for any sign that I had been discovered.

 

_______________

 

I jumped a little when my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and answered when I saw that it was Jamie. “Hey, Jamie I’m sor-”

 

“Dad, he’s here!” He yelled, frantically. Oh, God, please no.

 

“Simon?” I asked fearfully.

 

“Yes! He’s here.” He panted before I heard him scream in fear. I heard a thud and a grunt, and then Jamie was panting again.

 

“What happened?!” I screamed. I could feel myself panicking and forced a few deep breathes.

 

“Samuel is here too!” He yelled.

 

“You need to find people Jamie.” I insisted as I tried to maneuver the car through traffic.

 

“No one is here! Everyone left as soon as the bell rang!” Of course, everyone had left already. It was a Friday afternoon.

 

“Jamie, you need to calm down. I’m going to add Detective Cale to the call, okay?”

 

“Okay,”

 

I could hear him panting. I was about to pull the phone away from my ear when his breath hitched. Before I could ask what was wrong, he screamed in pain, and then the line went dead. “JAMIE!” Not again. Please, not again. I quickly dialed Cale. He answered on the third ring. “Cale! I need you to get as many units to Jamie’s school as you can!” I yelled.

 

“Frank, what’s going on?”

 

“Simon’s at Jamie’s school!”

 

“What? We got a call that he’s on the other side of the island.”

 

“It’s a diversion! Jamie just called me and said they are both at his school. They might have already taken him. He screamed, and then the line went dead.” I heard muffled talking, but I was too focused on getting to my son to pay attention.

 

“I’ve got all the units in the area on the way. The officers out front aren’t answering.”

 

I couldn’t believe that I wasn’t there earlier. If I had left when I was supposed to, this never would have happened.

 

“I’m on my way Frank, but it’s going to be at least 20 minutes before I can get there.”

 

“I’m about five minutes out, but I don’t know what I’m going to find when I get there.”

 

“I’m so sorry, Frank. I’m going to do everything that I can to make sure Jaime gets out of this.”

 

_______________

 

I heard footsteps coming down the hall toward the classroom. As quietly as I could, I opened the door and tiptoed down the hall away from the steps. I was planning on making my way to the front entrance. It’s one of the farthest exits, but I was hoping that I would have a clear path. I was so busy peaking around the corner that I didn’t hear the footsteps coming up behind me.

 

“I can see you, Jamie!”

 

I yelped in fear and ran down the hall.

 

“You can’t escape me. I’ll find you and finish what I started. You should just give up now.”

 

I had almost made it to the stairs when I collided with something solid and fell to the floor. I looked up into Samuel’s eyes and tried to scramble away from the murderous look in his eyes.

 

“Gotcha!” He yelled.

 

I kicked out in blind panic, but he stepped out of reach. I felt someone grab me from behind, and I thrashed, trying to free myself. I was yanked to my feet and pulled against Simon’s chest. Samuel pulled out a taser and started walking toward me. “No! Don’t touch me! No!” I screamed just before electricity coursed through my body. When it stopped, I went limp; only Simon kept me from collapsing.

 

“I’m going to finish what I started and, unlike last time, I have a willing participant.” He said, nodding to Samuel.

 

“Please don’t do this.” I sobbed. I could feel the cut on my side throbbing from the shock.

 

“But it’s so much fun!” He said as he brought the taser toward me for a second time.

 

The fear of being knocked unconscious and kidnapped again renewed my fight, and I kicked him in the crotch before slamming my head back. I felt Simon’s nose break, and he dropped me instantly. I stood and ran as fast as I could on my wobbly legs. If they were in here, I didn’t want to be. I heard Simon screaming and pushed myself to go faster. I rounded the corner and took the stairs two at a time. I almost fell, but I managed to grab on to the railing before I could. I had nearly made it to the door when I heard a gunshot. I shrieked in fear but kept going; a moving target was harder to hit. I could hear Simon behind me. He was faster than me, and I was afraid that I wouldn’t make it. I threw myself against the door, and I burst out into the sunlight. I shielded my eyes as I was temporarily blinded. I blinked, and I saw dad’s car pull up just as I was tackled from behind. I screamed in pain and pure terror when I hit the ground. I was pulled up and against someone’s chest. An arm wrapped around my throat, and I brought my hands up to try and pry it away. I looked up when I heard sirens, and several cop cars pulled into the parking lot.

 

My eyes flicked back to dad when he brought his gun up. “Let him go, Ritter! Drop your weapon!” He shouted.

 

I felt him press the gun against my temple before he whispered in my ear. “Best say goodbye, Jamie. This is the end for both of us.”

 

I closed my eyes and let out a sob; I heard so many voices. I opened my eyes and searched for my dad. If I was going to die, I wanted him to be the last person I saw.

 

“Everyone, shut up!” Simon yelled. I heard him pull back the hammer.

 

Dad gave me the smallest of nods, and I knew what was coming. His eyes shifted to my captor. “Please don’t hurt my family.”

 

As soon as dad said those five words, I threw myself to the ground. I heard a single shot, a thud, yelling. I looked behind me into the lifeless eyes of the person that had tried to ruin my life. A wave of relief washed over me before a hand touched me, and I flinched back with a yelp of surprise.

 

“It’s me, Jamie,” Dad said softly.

 

I opened my eyes and threw myself at him. He pulled me into a tight hug, and I cried against his chest.

 

Simon was dead.

 

I wished that meant he couldn’t hurt me anymore, but I knew he would haunt me for a long time. ~~~~


	17. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post the epilogue and chapter fifteen at the same time because it's less than 500 words. Also, nothing really happens, but it didn't feel right to put this in the last chapter.
> 
> I want to thank everyone that has bookmarked, commented, and left kudos! This has been an excellent experience, and I look forward to posting more stories!

It had been a month since Simon attacked me. Samuel had been arrested and charged with aggravated assault, rape, and attempted kidnapping. He was sentenced to 25 years with a chance of parole at 15.

 

As soon as Den- Simon's body was secured, I was rushed to the hospital for the stab wound that I had received. Luckily, it was just a flesh wound, and I was able to go home the same day. Physical therapy was going well, and even though it hurt, I pushed myself. I was seeing Dr. Hoffman twice a week, and I was slowly improving. I rarely had nightmares, but I think the fact that Simon was dead and Samuel was in jail was a major contributing factor.

 

I finished school and was glad that I had a whole summer to recover. All through Junior year, everyone talked about what college they were going to and what they were going to study. At the beginning of the year, I had thought that being a police officer was the path I wanted to follow. Recent events had made me reconsider. I had given it a lot of thought and decided that I was going to talk to dad about it.

 

I made my way downstairs and found dad in the kitchen drinking coffee and reading the morning paper. My mind flashed back to nearly two months ago when I had come down to see dad just like this. I shook the thoughts from my head and sat down across from him. "Hey, dad?"

 

"Hmm," He said without looking up.

 

"I wanted to talk to you about something."

 

He looked up before putting down his paper. "Okay."

 

"I think I want to be a lawyer," I said timidly. Everyone in the family, except for Erin, was in law enforcement.

 

He smiled. "Is that so?"

 

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure."

 

"That's great, Jamie!" He exclaimed.

 

"Really?"

 

"Really. You should call Erin. She'll be thrilled."

 

I smiled. "Yeah, she will be," I said fondly.

 

He got up and walked around the island to hug me. I felt moisture on my cheek and looked up. Dad was crying. "Dad, what's wrong?"

 

He made a noise that was halfway between a sob and a laugh. "Your mother made me promise not to let you go into law enforcement. I wasn't going to force you out of it if that's what you really wanted, but now that you want to be a lawyer, I can keep my promise."

 

"I didn't know that," I responded thoughtfully.

 

"I didn't want it to influence your decision."

 

"Thanks, dad." He pulled away and wiped his eyes before he looked down and smiled. I turned and ran toward the stairs.

 

"Whoa! Where are you off to?" He said with a chuckle.

 

"I'm gonna go call Erin!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is the end! I hope you enjoyed this story!
> 
> What were your thoughts? Was it predictable? Did anything surprise you? Did everything flow together and make sense?
> 
> Also, if any of you are Teen Wolf fans (the TV show not the movie), my next post will be a Derek/Stiles friendship one-shot! It's already complete so if you're interested, look for it on Friday!


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